Guwahati: Social Action for Human Rights (SAFHR), a rights-based Catholic social organization, based in Guwahati, Assam organised a four-day training programme on ‘Paralegal and advocacy skills’ from May 26 to 29, 2022 at Kharghuli in Guwahati.
Participants from Morigaon, Nagaon, Tamulpur and Kamrup Metro districts of Assam took part in the programme. The event began on May 26 with an inaugural session and the technical session on ‘Introduction to various laws and paralegal practices’.
Mr. Ranjan Brahma, AJS, Deputy Secretary of Assam State Legal Services Authority (ASLSA), who was the chief guest inaugurated the four-day training programme. The other dignitaries Mr. Manas Sarania, Senior Advocate, Gauhati High Court and Member Secretary of the Assam State Law Commission and Fr. Tom Mangattuthazhe, Secretary for Ecumenism and NESCOM, Northeast Regional Bishops’ Council addressed the trainees.
Sr. Shobha K.P, Advocate, Director of SAFHR delivered the welcome and inaugural address. In her address, she highlighted the basic constitutional rights of the people of India.
Mr. Ranjan Brahma spoke on justice, equality and liberty as inscribed in the Constitution of India. He emphasised on justice, equality and liberty happening in reality. He urged the paralegal trainees to inform about the rights that the common citizens have, as guaranteed by the laws of the land, without looking at monetary and material benefits. Mr. Brahma appreciated the trainees for taking out time to voluntarily help the people in need of legal assistance and encouraged them to continue helping the people legally irrespective of time taken in getting the successful results from the works.
Mr. Manas Sarania spoke on various rights of the citizens of India. He said, “To bring equality, the downtrodden needs to be lifted up”. He said that human rights are to be considered by the government authority and the procedures of the law are to be followed by all for the justice to prevail’. Mr. Sarania also spoke on the rights of children with regard to crime and arrest, right to information, justice delivery system and urged the trainees to protect the environment and natural resources.
Fr. Tom Mangattuthazhe, rued over human trafficking happening in Assam. Referring human trafficking as ‘manuh baazar’, he said that everyone must act together to put an end to it.
Mr. Hemen Daimary, Programme Manager of SAFHR delivered the vote of thanks.
The resource persons for the training programme were Mr. Rahul Gogoi, Advocate, Gauhati High Court, Mr. Chaturjya Prasad Talukdar, AJS, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Kamrup Metro, State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development, Assam and the resource team of SAFHR comprising of Sr. Shobha K.P., Mr. Abinash Narzary and Mr. Hemen Daimary. The technical sessions dwelt on the Right to Information Laws, The Constitution of India, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, Indian Justice Delivery System (Criminal), Local Governance System and its related Laws in India, Social Security / Welfare Schemes of the Government, Alternative Dispute Resolution System and its Related Laws in India.
The concluding programme on May 29th was attended by Mr. Chaturjya Prasad Talukdar, AJS, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Kamrup Metro as the chief guest. Mr. Talukdar spoke on the functioning of the courts, the duties of the lawyers towards their clients, digital facilities provided by the courts and the DLSA in disseminating information to the public, the roles of Para Legal Volunteers (PLV), provisions of free legal aid as per the National Legal Services Authority Act 1987 etc. He urged the trainees to reach out to the people in need of legal assistance and help them get access of the legal services authorities of their respective districts.