Human Rights Under Democracy

After so many thousands of years of existence on the planet and experimentation with all forms of governments, democracy has emerged as the most popular form of government.

One of the main reasons why people have put their faith in democracy is that they believe it will ensure their 'Human Rights'. Human Rights violations take place quite blatantly in non-democratic forms of government where too much power is concentrated in the hands of too few. Every one knows that the Human Rights movement started in a big way only after the excesses committed by the dictators, despots and tyrants woke up every one. One might recall the following famous quotation:

In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists, and I did not speak up, because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak up, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak up, because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I did not speak up, because I was not a Catholic. Then they came for me... and by that time, there was no one to speak up for anyone.

- Martin Niemoeller, Pastor, German Evangelical (Lutheran) Church

To someone like me, living in the world's largest democracy, in a metropolitan city, in a posh area, in an economically well-off family - a student who has been educated in excellent institutions, in short, one whose human rights have never been under threat - this topic comes as a great surprise. My first thought is - how silly! What is there to think about Human Rights under a democracy? Doesn't democracy by its very definition ensure human rights? Isn't democracy and human rights synonymous? Can one possibly exist without the other? Democracy as we all know is a government "of the people, for the people, by the people". So, by its very definition, shouldn't it ensure Human Rights to every citizen?