Next 75 years should strike balance between rights and responsibilities of citizens: Union Minister Smriti Irani

PTI, Nov 14, 2021, 4:21 PM IST

In the next 75 years of independence, India needs to be equally about the responsibility of citizens towards the community and the nation, and not just about rights, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said on Sunday.

She was speaking as a guest of honor at the valedictory ceremony of the six-week-long ‘Pan India Legal Awareness and Outreach Campaign’ by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

The minister said that while the focus since independence was on rights, she was hopeful that the forthcoming years would strike a balance between rights and responsibilities.

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, judges of the Supreme Court Justice UU Lalit, and Justice AM Khanwilkar along with Attorney General KK Venugopal were present at the event.

Irani lauded NALSA for the campaign, which started on October 2 as part of the 75th-anniversary celebrations of India’s independence, and emphasized that free legal aid in the country is not charity but a right.

The true test of a democracy is ensuring that justice reaches all its children, the Union minister said as she shared her desire for a just future for women and children.

“That is the three phases from October 2 to the 14th (of November), 70 crore Indians and their lives could be touched upon, (the campaign) gives a message to our nation that free legal aid ‘ehsan nahi adhikar hai’ (free legal aid is not charity but a right). For that NALSA and the Hon’ble Chief Justice and judges of the Supreme Court have our gratitude,” she said.

Irani noted that the country will celebrate Constitution Day on November 26.

”We must ponder for a while and recognize that these 75 years have been about the exploration of our rights, the next 75 years need to be equally about responsibility towards our communities, towards self and our nation. ”’I’m hopeful that the forthcoming 75 years strike that balance between rights and responsibilities,” the Union minister stated.

Speaking about the campaign, she shared that merely between October 30 and November 7, the outreach was extended to over five lakh villages, two lakh outreach teams were constituted and over 1.2 lakh programs saw the attendance of 6.5 crore Indians.

“The culmination of your efforts of awareness and outreach campaign is just a manifestation sir of your promise that justice would be denied to none and will be made available to all,” she said.

The Union minister also announced a new “workshop and working engagement” in collaboration with NIMHANS—National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences– for “those who want to enhance the quality of justice which is to be delivered to our children”.

Irani said she “reflected on the appeal by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit to have a court that recognizes how difficult it is for a child who undergoes trauma to engage and receive justice”.

“From January 8 till February, we invite the participation of everybody who seeks to legally protect our children. For that, they are introduced to the mental health and legal dimensions of forensics. ”We have endeavored to ensure that our duty holders understand what affects a child’s decision on abuse disclosure and reporting,” she said.

The program, she shared, would endeavor to develop a methodology and skillset to “elicit abuse narrative from a child without further traumatizing the child”.

It was also shared that over one lakh duty holders in child care institutions accessed counseling under a program called ‘Samvaad’ that began a year and a half ago under the aegis of NIMHANS.

“While much has been spoken about the 800 million Indians who have received free ration, much is being celebrated about the one billion-plus (COVID-19) vaccine doses. There have been stories that have been left unsaid,” she said speaking of the project launched in collaboration with her ministry.

”Not only children who need counsel in our child care institutions but also duty holders who were under immense stress were reached out to. We endeavored to ensure that those in need of counseling know that there is someone a phone call away,” the minister said.