25th anniversary of the founding of the Aadhikar in London, UK.
First published on 19 December 1980 as a weekly print newspaper, the AADHIKAR DAILY is now appearing on the Internet.
The word AADHIKAR means rights. In the sense that the word rights is understood in 2005.
In 1980 the Aadhikar had an urgency about rights that were being undermined in the UK by the then just installed Thatcher regime.
Political and human rights in the UK were as much under state pressure on 19 December 1980 as they are today 19 December 2005.
The only difference is in the marginal form of the denier of rights.
The denier –in chief now claims to be wearing the clothes of a political tradition, which was evident in the movement that led to the creation of the Labour Party in Britain during the first half of the 20th century AD.
As has become all too clear in the last 12 weeks, the apparent difference between the outfits of the two facets of the same force does not make any difference to the evil impact on society that force has.
The Aadhikar daily files of the past quarter of a century contain worrying proof that elected democracy is not at all enough to protect people from the abuses and the repressions that are almost always unleashed by holders of political power if there is no vigilance against those holders.
Constant vigilance against power holders is a must for defending human rights in society.
Within borders of states and across borders of states.
The vigilance can be maintained only with evidence.
And the vigilance is not to be confused with any activity that can be remotely compared kith the anti-political engagement of vigilantism
Investigative independent reporting is a vital way of finding and providing that evidence for vigilance for rights.
It is also a most fundamental instrument in the struggle to defend our rights against all kinds of holders of power in our names. In the UK.
Across the world.
In all manners and descriptions of society. And in all regions where human beings live even under no institutionally recognised tags of society. In all states under all kinds of States,
This anniversary note cannot be complete without a humble dedication to the memory of MUSAMMAT MOFURA KHATUN and an acknowledgement of the role played in 1980 under her generosity by her family who singularly gave their all to the establishment of AADHIKAR as a timely token of their contribution to the struggle for human rights in the UK and to the cause of justice generally.