The October 21 directive warns of action against private organisations if they use the words ‘human rights’ in their name or display them on vehicles.

Tamil Nadu DGP C Sylendra Babu has drawn the ire of human rights organisations over his October 21 order warning of legal action against private organisations if they use the words “human rights” in their name or display them on vehicles.

While the DGP’s order has stemmed from the police getting complaints about private organisations adding the words “human rights” to their names and identifying themselves as associated with national and state human rights commissions, many genuine organisations working towards human rights are angry about the circular, which orders action against outfits which have not removed the said wordings.

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Henri Tiphagne, well-known human rights activist and honourary national working secretary, Human Rights Defenders Alert-India, said that the NHRC and SHRC have done “a bad thing with good intention”.

“We are not against the initiation of any criminal action under the normal criminal law, provided there is evidence of cheating and evidence of any other criminal act that any individual or association of human rights defenders has got engaged in. It is the right of human rights defenders to also constitute an association that remains unregistered as long as they function within the parameters of law,” he said.