PRESS RELEASE
The 45 days long “Pan India Awareness and Outreach Campaign from 2nd October, 2021 to 14th November, 2021 as a part of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” and Legal Services Week from 8th to 14th November, 2021”, concluded today on 14.11.2021 (Sunday), with a Valedictory Ceremony held on the same date at 11:00 a.m. in the Plenary Hall of Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi with Hon’ble Justice N.V. Ramanna, Chief Justice of India as the Chief Guest.
Also present during the Ceremony were Hon’ble Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Hon’ble Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Judge, Supreme Court of India & Executive Chairman, NALSA as Guests of Honour in the august presence of Hon’ble Shri Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Judge, Supreme Court of India & Chairman, Supreme Court Legal Services Committee and Hon’ble Shri K.K.Venugopal, Attorney General for India.
Representing Sikkim State Legal Services Authority, the ceremony was attended by Hon’ble Justice Biswanath Somadder, Chief Justice, High Court of Sikkim & Patron-in-Chief, Sikkim SLSA and Hon’ble Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai, Judge, High Court of Sikkim & Executive Chairperson, Sikkim SLSA.
The Valedictory Ceremony was also screened live by all the District Legal Services Authorities at their respective Districts, and, was also forwarded to the District Administration Centres and Police Stations for screening of the same.
During the 45 days, the Sikkim SLSA and the 04 (four) District Legal Services Authorities conducted 269 successful legal awareness programmes and door to door campaigns covering 705 number of villages in Sikkim and on topics viz; Free Legal Aid and Assistance, Alternate Dispute Resolutions such as Mediation, Lok Adalat, etc., Labour Act, Importance of Mental Health and necessity of seeking rehabilitation, substance abuse and importance of rehabilitation, Cyber & Legal issues, Role of Para Legal Volunteers in the villages, the differences between Compoundable and Non-Compoundable Offences, the importance of First Information Report, physical, economic, social and mental abuse under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, avoidance of gender discrimination and efforts towards an egalitarian society from all aspects, Sikkim Anti Dugs Act, 2006 (as amended), Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012, the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, Environmental Issues, etc.
The Sikkim State Legal Services Authority, working under the aegis of National Legal Services Authority, and, directions of Hon’ble Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai, Judge, High Court of Sikkim & Executive Chairperson, also organized a Skit on the topic Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, by the students of the Sikkim Government Law College, Burtuk, East Sikkim in front of Tourism Information Centre, MG Marg, East Sikkim on 14.10.2021 (Sunday).
The skit on the above subject matter was organized to generate awareness amongst people on important subjects such as child sexual abuse, good touch and bad touch, and other pertinent issues. The skit also dealt with various provisions of POCSO Act, 2012, especially mandatory reporting of POCSO cases.
Also as concluding ceremony and as per the direction of NALSA, the District Legal Services Authorities of all the Districts conducted Prabhat Pheris in their respective Districts. A painting competition was also conducted by the D.L.S.A. (East) at Child Care Institution at Bojoghari, East Sikkim.
