Legal literacy and legal awareness campaign : The ways to public empowerment
- Part 2 -

Dr Gairiangmei Maringmei *

High Court Complex at Chingmeirong Imphal on April 07 2012 :: Pix - Bullu Raj

NALSA Schemes

The NALSA has formulated the following schemes to perform its functions under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.

Legal and Counsel Scheme

NALSA has initiated Legal Aid Counsel Scheme to provide meaningful legal assistance to under-trial prisoners who, on account of lack of resources or other disabilities, cannot engage a counsel to defend them. Now, Legal Aid Counsel have been attached to each Magisterial Court who provide assistance and defend a person who is not able to engage a counsel, right from the stage he/she is produced in the court by the police.

Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalat Scheme

A Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalat Scheme has been formulated and implemented to establish Lok Adalats under Section 19 of the Act in all the districts of the country. Under this scheme, the Lok Adalats are now organized regularly at designated venues, even away from court complexes and the cases which remain unsettled are taken up in the next Lok Adalat. Lok Adalats have thus acquired permanency and continuity and are no more occasional.

Counseling and Conciliation Scheme

NALSA has formulated a Counseling and Conciliation Scheme to encourage the settlement of disputes by way of negotiations and conciliation. Under this scheme, Counseling and Conciliation Centres are being set up in all the Districts of the country for guiding and motivating the migrants to resolve their disputes amicably. Such Centres have been set up in most of the Districts.

Legal Literacy Programme

NALSA has formulated a strategy to provide basic and essential knowledge to the vulnerable groups so that they can understand the law and know the scope of their rights under the law and eventually assert their rights as a means to take action, uplift their social status and being in social change.

NALSA has been organizing the Legal Aid Camps through State Legal Services Authorities, Taluka Legal Services Committees, NGOs. etc. in the rural area and slum areas for educating the weaker sections as to their rights and for encouraging them to settle their disputes through ADR Mechanism. The people are educated/made aware of their rights, benefits and privileges guaranteed by social welfare legislations, administration programmes and measures etc.

It also organized meetings, seminars and workshops connected with legal services programmes in different parts of the country. In addition, the NALSA has developed audio visual spots and publicity material to make the common man aware of the various aspects of the legal services programmes. Documentary films have also been prepared and are being screened in the different parts of the country through Directorate of Field Publicity, Government of India.

Accreditation of Voluntary Social Service Institutions

NALSA has formulated a scheme for accreditation of Voluntary Social Service Institutions to establish a nationwide network of voluntary agencies in order to spread legal literacy, legal awareness and publicity for legal services throughout the nook and corner of the country. All the State Legal Services Authorities have been urged to identify Social Service Institutions in all Districts and give them accreditation.

Scheme on supporting the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) through the State Legal Services Authorities

A scheme on Supporting the Implementation on NREGS through State Legal Services Authorities has been formulated by NALSA for generating awareness through Legal Literacy and Awareness Campaign and to establish a grievance redressed forum by Organising Lok Adalats to resolve the disputes/complaints or legal problems of any person in respect of implementation of the scheme and employment guaranteed under NREGA.

For whom the legal awareness campaign is required?

There are different professions and careers in our country, all the professions are not provided the legal educations during their studies or when they are at work. They are taught or educated only in their own professional courses therefore there is no guarantee that they know/learn their rights or legal rights of this country. Thus, it is necessary to conduct awareness campaign on legal rights to provide basic and essential knowledge of fundamental legal rights to those professional people and also the law and ethics of their professions.

In a nutshell, the legal awareness campaign is required for all the professions such as legal practitioners, government servants, professors, security forces, police personals, doctors, engineers, nurses, political leaders, civil society leaders, human right activists, village authority leaders, women society leaders, churches leaders, students' union leaders, youth leaders, club leaders, aam adami/common man, and all sections of society. In many cases these people are ignorant to the fundamental legal rights or they are confused when there is a violation or infringement of a right enforceable in law.

These legal rights, ethics, norms, and rule & regulations should be practiced impartially or without discrimination while dealing with poor, weak, rich, caste, creed, marginalized and religious minority groups of the society by different professionals.

Where to conduct the legal awareness programme at this hour?

Much awareness programmes on legal rights has been conducted in various places of cities and towns of the States (Northeast states of India) whereas the most needed areas are still neglected. This awareness campaign has not been reached to the remote areas especially to the hills areas of the States where illiterate and ignorant people are living. There are thousands of villages where there is no proper road connectivity from the cities and towns. They are the people who need to be trained well and make aware of their rights for their safety in life.

Since they are ignorant and lack of knowledge on their basic rights, they are the victims of human rights violations. Moreover, due to lack of knowledge on basic rights, the corrupt public servants have been taken all the advantages of the facilities/opportunities provided by the Government for the poor villagers. Various welfare schemes and developmental projects for the villages provided by Centre and State every year are mercilessly grabbed by the government officials posted there in collaboration with representatives.

Therefore, it is very important to organize such legal awareness programs for the neglect and unreachable people living in the remote areas of the States. Such exercise of legal awareness programs will make the people aware of their fundamental rights, empower them and assert their due basic rights and benefits, and privileges guaranteed by social welfare department, to live in dignity as a citizen of the country.

Ways to organize a successful programmes

For the legal awareness program to succeed it is necessary to involve public participation from all walks of life and, for this purpose, one of the best options available are to operate through voluntary organizations/NGOs, civil society organizations, and social action bodies. The concern authority/state should encourage and support financially to such bodies in operating the legal aid program. The media house also must join hands and support this exercise and publish at their esteem daily papers.

One question we need to ask ourselves here is, do all the citizens of the country aware of the above mentioned Act or provisions of legal services, disburses funds and grants to State Legal Services Authorities and NGO's for implementing free legal aid schemes and programmes? The concern authority/the State Legal Services Authorities/Authority should make more publicity or publicize through mass media in regards to norms and funds provided by them to conduct legal aid program.

Concluded...