Human Rights Are Eternal In Indian Values

The history of human rights in Indian culture and values are eternal to its civilization as it has evolved. The “Rigveda”, which is regarded as the oldest epic in the world, proclaims that all human beings are equal and they are all brothers. According to “Atherveda”, all human beings have equal right over food and natural resources. The “Vedas” including “Upnishads”(Shruti) are the basic source of “Dharma”, (an umbrella like term for all human rights and duties), the observance of which was regarded as essential for securing peace and happiness to individuals as well as to the society. The "Smritis” and “Puranas” are the collection of the rules of “Dharma” (which includes civil rights and liability towards society i.eVyavhara Dharma) and “Raja Dharma’ (Constitutional Law) which were developed on the basis of fundamental ideals incorporated in the ‘Vedas”. There were also several other authoritative works on “Raja Dharma”, the most important of them were the Kamandaks and Kautilya's Arthashastra, all of them have  vouched for ensuring happiness to the society and the subjects.