Free Legal Aid Clinic
N.T.V.S.S’ College of Law, Nandurbar, has a legal aid clinic in the college premises. It is open on all working days. The staff and students of the college provide free legal aid to poor and needy citizen of this tribal area. It helps to settle the disputes amicably. It also guides for filling suit and getting justice through law. Number of tribal people has been benefited by this legal aid clinic.
Legal Aid Camps held during the year 2012-13 by Nandurbar Taluka Vidhayak Samiti, Nandurbar.
Nandurbar, one of the tribal districts of Maharashtra, is situated on the triangular confluence of the three states viz Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Majority of its population live among the remote and isolated hills and ranges of the Satpuras. The overall history of the district shows that poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, superstitions, blind practices and outdated faiths have proved to be the major hindrances on keeping the tribal and rural communities away from the main stream of life.
The Nandurbar Taluka Vidhayak Samiti has been rendering valuable services in the field of education in the tribal district Nandurbar. The reputed educational institution was established in the year 1961 to promote education in rural and tribal belt of the earlier Dhule District and now the newly declared tribal district of Nandurbar. The founder chairman and members of the institution was selfless social worker with insight and foresight. They wanted to bring the backward weaker section to the main stream of education. Recognizing our role in imparting education and creating social awareness among the tribal and the downtrodden people, the Government of Maharashtra has honoured our Institution with “Adivasi Sevak Sanstha Award”.
The educational institution is now running 64 branches. Which contains 10 Senior Colleges, 07 Junior Colleges, 17 Secondary Schools, 04 Primary Schools, 11 Primary Residential Schools, 06 Secondary Residential Schools, 07 Hostels, 01 Balmandir, 01 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalay. The educational institution is having the strength of seventeen thousand students and there is one thousand staff working in it. The staff working under the institution is highly qualified and remains busy in research work. Many major and minor research projects have been completed in last few years.
Gradually, during last fifty years, the institution had opened various educational institutions, with adequate and necessary infrastructure, including the Law College to impart education in the different spheres of life. It is one of the best educational institutions in the State of Maharashtra. This year, the institution is celebrating it’s Golden Jubilee year. The Golden Jubilee function was inaugurated by Her Excellency the President of India Smt. Pratibhatai Patil.
One of the branches of our institution, College of Law, has as a part of its academics conducted various surveys in the Nandurbar District. These were focused on the awareness of law and legislative institutions and administrative bodies in the country. The results of these surveys were shocking. Majority of them was unaware of their rights that resulted in their violation and they suffered at every walk of life. We have conducted various Legal Aid Camps in this tribal district for the awareness of legal rights and various important Laws.
It was a great opportunity for the institution to conduct Legal Aid Camps’s for the needy people with the assistance of National Legal Services Authority, New Delhi, & Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority, Mumbai. The Grant in aid of Rs 1,20,000/- was sanctioned by NALSA for conducting 12 Legal Aid Camps in Nandurbar District during the year 2012-2013.
The Legal Aid Camps were organized in the areas where it was acutely required. Particularly the areas where the tribal people resides and who are far away from the developments. The Nandurbar District is consisting of six Talukas i.e. Nandurbar, Shahada, Nawapur, Taloda, Akkalkuwa and Dhadgaon. The Legal Aid Camps where organized in each of these tehsils.
While conducting Legal Aid Camp, its time & place was declared through the local newspapers and the message was also communicated to the villagers in advance. The Sarpanch, Dept.Sarpanch, Police Patil, Village officers were contacted firstly and also invited in the camps that were assisting us for conducting the Legal Aid Camps. The resource persons for guiding the people about law were called from the Local Bar Associations and from the teaching staff of the College of Law, Nandurbar. Hon’ble Judges from local courts as well as Government officers were invited to guide in Camps. The tribal students from the college were selected for communicating the provisions of law in the local Adivasi language and it proved as an effective means of communication for the tribal people of the district.
Keeping the view in mind that the only oral communication about law is not sufficient in this area, a booklet was prepared containing the information of basic rights and important essential provisions of law in simple language. These booklets were distributed in to each person in every camp. The street plays were organised by law students to communicate concepts like Right to information, domestic violence, 7/12 extracts importance etc. As people were sitting for hours, refreshment was provided to the beneficiaries of the Camps.
Street play consist of six students was prepared with the subjects of right to information, demerits of illegal and overcrowded travelling, domestic violence, 7/12 extract importance, right of arrestee, consumer rights etc. Street play was performed at the beginning of the camp. Street play was prepared in the local Adivasi language and hence it was having good response from the audience and it proved very effective means of communication in the tribal area.
After guiding the people about the importance of law, the Camp was keeping open for the question answer session. Those people who were having legal problem were guided at the same time or were suggested to approach the Legal Services Authority or College of Law, Nandurbar.
Since Nandurbar Taluka Vidhayak Samiti, Nandurbar is the reputed institution of the District; it has got organised manpower with dedicated motive. The organisation with its Law College is in much better place to carry out such activities. Such institute can literally go door to door to spread the awareness. Its working force is well acquainted with the legal language as well as local dialects. They can very effectively communicate with the needy people and can convince them. People need motivation to attend such camps. Under the guidance of Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority & National Legal Services Authority and the most important co-operation of Nandurbar District Legal Services Authority, the Legal Aid Camps are conducted successfully in the tribal area of the District.
Some illustrations of questions asked at the legal aid camps-
- Question regarding maintenance and the procedure of obtaining maintenance was asked in Jamana village.
- People from Dhadgaon region were asking about the question regarding the delay of issue of their ADHHAR cards.
- People of Dab Tal Akkalkuwa asked questions regarding the right to compensation in case of accident. Procedure of getting relief.
- People of Khadaki asked questions regarding Forest rights Act. In spite of reated applications, still they are unable to get forest right.
- villagers from “Dhanora” village were asking for a remedy against the delay for getting employment cards.
- One person from “Tembe” village was asking question regarding the procedure for obtaining relief against the husband of his sister who married second woman and left his sister.
- A question relating to the domestic violence was asked by the woman in Mendval Tal. Taloda.
- While holding Camp at Dhadgaon in tribal area people were asking questions regarding rights of tribal and Scholarship to their child.
- People of Amalpada village asked questions relating to the problems of labors in who migrated to Gujarat from Nandurbar District.
- People of Shahada asked questions relating to the atrocities complaint filling procedure and the way to get relief.
- People of Kamod Budruk did not know the procedure of National Employment Guarantee Scheme.
- In Shelkuvi village a question was asked by an Adivasi that, why he was not given an opportunity to get the benefit of scheme which is given to other people from the same village to which complaint is made.
- An old woman from Arditara asked the question regarding the right to get possession of her grant daughter from her drunkard son in law.