Can violence become a means to justice? Should an oppressed community give any consideration to the principle of liberty? Using K Balagopal’s position on human rights as the backdrop, a theoretical approach to human rights is presented. The Maoist movement’s communitarian approach to rights, where every fight for justice is reduced to “us versus them,” comes at a high cost to overall justice in society. Instead, the only reasonable approach is one that recognises multiple credible claims to justice from myriad interests of individuals and groups across society.
