GUWAHATI: A Gauhati High Court lawyer has taken a noble initiative to educate people, particularly “doubtful” voters, and make them aware about their citizenship rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of India.
Aman Wadud, an advocate of the High Court here, had conceptualised the idea of a “Samvidhan Kendra” or Constitution Centre” long back but could implement it last month, with the first such centre set up at Aditpur near Barpeta town in western Assam.
“This would be first-of-its-kind centre in the country. It is a community-based initiative without the involvement of any trusts or NGOs. The idea is to take the Constitution closer to the people, particularly in places where people are deprived of their citizenship rights,” Wadud told The Shillong Times here on Monday.
Asked how he got the concept going, he said, “So I shared the concept with a like-minded network of people who had initially wanted a legal aid centre there. The centre will also provide legal aid and library facilities free of cost.”
“We are coming up with more Samvidhan Kendras across the state so that people facing citizenship issues get justice. We will soon have one more centre at Kalgachia in Barpeta district and another at Sontoli in Kamrup district during Magh Bihu. The idea is also to take the concept across the country. As it is, I have received many calls from lawyers in other states who are keen to start similar centres in their respective areas,” Wadud said.
As of now, 100 “sevaks” of the Constitution” (members/volunteers) from various fields have enrolled at the centre in Aditpur who will disseminate the principles and rights prescribed in the Constitution among the people.
“The idea is to also organise Samvidhan Sabhas across the state in a mass scale. A culture needs to be created and citizens need to uphold the values of the Constitution,” he added.
Speaking to this correspondent over phone from Barpeta town, Mahiuddin Siddiqui, a college teacher and a member of the centre at Aditpur, said, “The Constitution is the property of the people and it is only when the values of the Constitution and its principles are disseminated among the people can we safeguard individual rights.”
He said over five lakh people in the state have been deprived of their citizenship rights in the past 15 to 20 years, with many from economically weak sections.
“We will have sittings at the centre from time to time. The sevaks will be informed about the Constitution so that the same can be spread among the people to stand for their citizenship rights. We have seen how people have been deprived of their citizenship and harassed by the system whereas the Constitution clearly mentions about the rights irrespective of religion, caste and creed,” Siddiqui said.
He further said that along with the Constitution, lessons on legal rights, gender and caste discrimination would also be provided at the centre.
