By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Absence of a directorate in prosecution department in the state is infact the main reason behind an ineffective conduct of prosecution in heinous cases thereby affecting the accessibility of people to justice, said Chairman of the State Law Commission, AH Scott.
“We see many lawyers being placed in different courts at the same time because there is no prosecution department to direct them as well as give advice to Police Officers in all legal matters on general points, specific cases or important issues arising during investigation or trial”, said Scott.
Pointing out this fact on the last day of the Consultative meet on Issues pertaining to Human rights organised by Human Rights Alert at NEHU here on Tuesday, Scott said till today, the state government is running without a prosecution department which was designed to find out whether the materials collected during the course of investigation are sufficient to make an accused stand trial in the court of a Magistrates and Sessions Judges, to produce evidence and to submit effective arguments to bring book real culprits.
Throwing light on the development coming into the North East, Scott said these developments have its own negative impacts on the life of the indigenous people in the form of dams, hydro projects and others. “The proliferation of dams will alienate the indigenous people from their own lands and identity which is in fact against the customary laws of the state”, Scott said.
Presenting a report gathered during the two day consultant meet on the barriers to access to justice and militarization in North East, Supreme Court Lawyer, Vrinda Grover highlighted the different aspects pertaining to denial of justice to the people.
“The lack of budgetary allocation, absence of training of judiciary officer has affected the rights of the people to a large extent” she said.
while adding that the implementation of the court directives in relation to the conduct of police remained unpracticed inspite of the fact that the judgment was passed almost two decades ago.
She also highlighted on the risk that the women folks are facing as the rule of law are not being followed and arbitrary rules not practiced. “The state is unable to provide basic services to the people leading to a rebellion, so humanitarian laws should be put to test in NE”, Grover added.
Meanwhile, King of Tripura, Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman has pointed out that despite the fact that Meghalaya is a matrilineal society, yet it is found that there is a lot of discrimination taking place in the political arena. “When looked at it carefully, it a male dominated society and this is evident from the prohibition of women to sit in Dorbars and the less women representatives in the legislative assembly”, rued Barman.
However, turning to insurgency in the state, the King of Tripura said compared to Manipur and Tripura, in Meghalaya, insurgency is handled very well especially in the East and West Khasi Hills. While speaking on the unemployment issue, Barman said despite the less militant activities in the state, instead of establishing other departments and more posts, the government continues to sanctioned money for the deployment of more security forces in the conflict-free area thereby giving rise to unemployment and militancy.
In this two-day consultant meeting, they also stressed on the lack of awareness among people in the rural areas on the kind of protections offered to them in the government level. “So many laws and protections are available but the lack of awareness on such laws has put our women and children especially those living in the border areas at a great risk”, said the Prince of Manipur and member of a civil society organisation, Dr Debbarata Roy Laifungbam.
The meeting was chaired by an active member of the United Nations, Milund Kothari who now shifted his focus to the North Eastern region and has set up a forum which deliberates and formulates the issues pertaining to Human Rights to the UN.
It was mentioned that in this meet, the inputs provided by members of civil society organizations as well a government representatives will be incorporated in the report which will submitted to the High commission of human rights of United Nations as well as to the government of India.
This first consultative meet on human rights in the country held in the city is expected to pave the way for the civil society organizations as well as the government to address the issue of promoting, protect and secure human rights in they country.