The Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority, Ranchi & Centre for Human Rights & Subaltern Studies (CHRSS) of National University for Study and Research in Law, Ranchi today organised a day-long webinar on Protection of Human Rights through Legal Aid Services on the occasion of Human Rights day.
The chief guest of the function was Chief Justice, Jharkhand High Court cum Patron-in-Chief, of JHALSA & Chancellor, NUSRL Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan. The guest of honor of function was Justice HC Mishra Judge, Jharkhand High Court & Executive Chairman of Jhalsa. The webinar was also attended by Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh Judge, Jharkhand High Court & Chairman, High Court Legal Services Committee, Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay judge Jharkhand High Court and Chancellor’s representatives NUSRL, Dr Kesava Rao Vurrakula Vice Chancellor NUSRL, Ranchi among others.
At the function, Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan threw light on various aspects of human rights and the provisions guaranteed by the Constitution. He said, “Right to free legal aid is part of the Constitution. Even an accused committing a heinous crime has the right to get legal aid.” Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan with an example of Ajmal Kasab said that in the case too Kasab was given the right to get legal aid. “A magistrate has a duty to provide a lawyer to the accused even if he does not ask for a lawyer. The motto is that nobody is deprived of justice, especially the poor, downtrodden and under-privileged get justice,” added Dr Ravi Ranjan.
At the day-long webinar, the dignitaries released pamphlets and magazine on human rights apart from launching Project Shakti, which aims to reduce pain & sufferings of all women in difficult circumstances. The objective of the project is to ensure easy access to services and benefits through coordinated mechanisms comprehensible to beneficiaries. A member of Jhalsa said, “JHALSA will involve its human resources and all other Infrastructures to bridge the gap between the benefits and the widows and single women.”
Also, the JHALSA will create awareness about the project Shakti through various print and electronic media.
Prior to launching project Shakti, JHALSA has taken initiatives creating human right awareness among people. Through the project Nirogi Bhawah, JHALSA aims at connecting persons / family with the PM-JAY (Ayushman Bharat) who are not yet connected with the scheme. It also aims at spreading awareness about the benefits of PM-JAY through the District Authority, Taluka Legal Services Authority, panel lawyers, social workers, para-legal volunteers, and students in legal aid clinics.
Also through project Aatmnirbharta, JHALSA and its district wings identifies women beneficial schemes of the Government most beneficial for all-round uplift of women in a particular area and to strengthen legal aid and support services for the rural or tribal or forest dwelling women.
Project Chetna aims at eradicating the menace of substance abuse/wine/hadia. Through the project, the JHALSA aims to create awareness about the ill effects of drug abuse amongst the children in schools and colleges, street children, urban slum children, injective drug user, families, prisoners, workers in unorganized Sector, Chemists, drug peddlers, sex workers and general masses etc. All these projects were released on the Constitution Day programme on November 26, 2020.