Dimapur, July 5: Did you know that in events over question of life and death, citizens have the right to information within 42 hours? This was one of the details of discussions that marked a seminar that was organized by the Kohima District Legal Services in Kohima town on Monday.
The Kohima District Legal Services organized a legal awareness program in collaboration with Sazolie College at Jotsoma on Tuesday here at the college’s campus. Panel lawyers Joshua Sheqi, Sunjib Rana and Akumla Longchari were the resource persons for the event.
Speaking on the topic of basic legal rights, panel lawyer Joshua Sheqi said that ‘from time immemorial rights have been recognized and enjoyed’ by people. ‘Credit for all the rights we enjoy today goes to all those people who have struggled and voiced out selflessly,’ he stated. ‘Before anyone can speak of their rights, it is imperative that one should assert the rights of those who are less privileged,’ the panel lawyer said.
Sheqi also spoke about the AFSPA Act and said that the Act also had limitations. For instance, he military is to ‘work harmoniously’ with the local administration and the police. Once they arrest a person, he should be produced before the police as soon as possible, he said. The resource person also highlighted some of the provisions of the Right to Information Act too. Sheqi said that the Act was one of the most powerful acts to procuring information. People can use the act to obtain any information and contain corruption.
A piece of important information that he gave to the students was that whenever any situation arises where the matter of life and death of a person is in question, the information can be obtained within 48 hours. Under Section 2(j) of the RTI Act any person can inspect the documents and other information with just a simple application he added.
Resource person Sunjib Rana spoke on Legal Services Authority with special reference to Legal Aid Clinic. He said that Legal Services Authority came into being for the poor and downtrodden. He mentioned that the hierarchy of the Legal Services Authority is National Legal Services Authority at the apex level then followed by the State Legal Services Authority and the District Legal Services Authority.
He said that there was a front office within the court’s premises and legal aid clinics have been set up to help the people get access to justice by providing free services at the doorsteps therefore one can avail any kind of legal services from the LAC free of cost.
Resource person Akumla Longchari enlightened the students on Cyber Crime. She stated that in this present world a thief can steal more with a computer than with a gun, tomorrow’s terrorist may be able to do more damage with a keyboard than a bomb. Technology is suppose to connect us however the present trend is that it is disconnecting us from real people therefore one should use internet and social networking sites judiciously.
Also, the principal of Sazolie College Dr. Kangzangding Thou addressed the gathering. In his speech, he ‘expressed concern for the need of knowing the various laws and hopes that with the revival of the LAC in the college series of activities will kickstart which will benefit not only the students but people from around the vicinity of the college.’
