Justice Partivjyoti Saikia, Judge, Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, stated that every citizen should strive for excellence in one’s own field as enshrined in the Constitution.
Speaking to a section of leaders from different tribal associations in Kohima during a programme on Constitution Day organized by Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) at Hotel Japfü, Kohima today, he said although the people are entitled several rights, dispensing fundamental duties by every individual is also fundamentally paramount.
The judge said under Article 51 (A), Sub Clause J, it states that citizens should strive for excellence in all aspects of their lives and collective activities.
“Being in any different profession, be it lawyers, doctor, engineer, it has to be my duty to be a good in the particular field,” Judge Siakia noted.
The goal is to help the nation achieve higher levels of success and endeavor.
He also stressed on the need to know one’s rights and as citizens of India, we have rights, we should claim those rights also. “In many place, we have seen that some people are not getting their rights. That is the purpose why the courts are sitting. We are duty bound to extend the fundamental rights to every citizen of India,” the Judge pointed out while noting on the role of Judiciary.
Siakia called the people to be aware of of our fundamental duties and opined that awareness programmes should start at school level where the youngsters are mostly present and make every section known about of their fundamental duties.
As part of the Constitution Day programme, Siakia led the attendance in reading out the Preamble of the Constitution.
Member secretary, NSLSA, Neiko Akami, NJS while delivering the keynote address spoke about how Legal Services provide different kind of legal help to people who are especially vulnerable in the society.
Citing an example, he said for instance some under trial prisoners who are lodged in Jails for crimes committed by them are not in a position to afford a lawyer to represent their case as they are not ready financially or have good support system.
In this regard, the Legal Services provides a lawyer for free to represent them.
“Guilty or not guilty, we reach out to every vulnerable in the context of legal arena or persons unable to afford to be represented by a lawyer,” Akami noted adding that the Legal Services are equipped with Panel Lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers who are trained to assist people in need of Legal Aid which extends from a magistrate court even up to appeal High court or even to the extend of Supreme Court.
In the form of drafting affidavits, submission of representation to competent authority, or discharging paperwork that only lawyers can undertake, the member secretary said legal Authority extends it’s hand.
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He also spoke about the importance of National Lok Adalat which are held on a Quarterly basis for the benefit of the people. In the context of Nagaland, Akami said that 3 main nature of cases were bank loans, MACT cases or petty issues. Such cases, if tried in a normal court, would take minimum dew years are however settled in this forum in a day’s time, he said.
DIGP (CID), Police Headquarter, Nagaland, Dr. KPA Ilyas, IPS spoke on the NDPS Act vis-à-vis conviction rate and strategy to control drug menace in the context of Nagaland.
Earlier, the programme was chaired by NSLSA Retainer Lawyer Apila Sangtam. The programme was attended by leaders of various tribal and Civil society groups.
