Reason for joining as Intern in NHRC

Right from my school days I have been very active in all kinds of
activities, be it school function, sports or any other social activities. In the
year 2003, The Times of India (TOI) launched an extra supplement for the
students, by the students. TOI visited all the schools of Bengal and selected
two or four students as per the strength of the school to help them report
academic events and run the supplement. From my school (Grace Ling Liang
English School) two very studious students were selected. I was not in that
team. One of these two backed out because his parents thought his studies
would be hampered. I approached my teachers and opted to be a Student
reporter. My teachers took a wise decision and recommended my name to
TOI. Within weeks I was part of TOI, students’ edition. Being a student
reporter helped me a lot to understand myself. I interviewed the celebrities,
reported academic events, was in the editorial board of the supplement etc.
The most important thing which I did was that I urged my schoolmates and
my school to fight against the garbage that was being dumped in front of our
school since long time back. Some of my classmates and I visited the
Councilor of the locality and brought to his notice the menace which was
taking place right in front of the school.

All these activities made me realize that I was a social activist from
heart. When I passed out school I traveled my city on my own and saw that
basic human rights were being violated rampantly. I saw child laborers
working in factories, tanneries, shops, restaurants and everywhere on a
meager amount. There was no facility of education for them anywhere. When
I joined B.A.LL.B, I got inclined towards the legal aspect of human rights
violation. I read about the innocent people behind the bars waiting for trial
since 5 years, 10 years and so and very less was being done to bring this
under control.

When in 3rd year of my college, I got information that a workshop was

going to be held at one of our universities campus and was being organized
by Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), I attended this workshop with my
friends and was very much impressed with the kind of work the Human
Rights people were doing and I realized that this is the place where I wanted
to be.

I want to be a social activist, work for the rights of the people

especially for the Minorities of India. One of my classmates, who is a part of
HRLN told me in the month of April that National Human Rights Commission
conducts internship program every year and that I could apply for the
internship then. From then onwards I have been surfing NHRC’s website for
any news and finally have got it. My college was closed for Puja’s and the
new session started a bit late so I got late in applying.
(500 words)
Sheikh Khurshid Alam,
B.A.LL.B 4th Year,
Dept. of Law, University of Calcutta.