KATHMANDU, JANUARY 2
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba gave away human rights award to Advocate Shailendra Harijan and Daube Shakti Samuha in recognition of their efforts to protect human rights.
The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs had, on December 10, announced its decision to give the award to Harijan and Shakti Samuha.
Advocate Harijan who hails from Shuddhodhan Rural Municipality, Kapilvastu, has been working as a human rights defender for the last eight years.
This is the first time the government has offered a human rights award to human rights defenders. The award carries a purse of Rs 111,000 and a certificate.
The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs stated in the award certificate that it decided to give the award to Harijan for his contribution to protecting and promoting human rights and raising the issues of minorities, particularly Dalits.
Addressing the award distribution programme today, PM Deuba said the government was committed to protecting and promoting human rights. He said the government would continue to honour the contributions of human rights defenders.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 3, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
