Nagaland laywers urged to be active agents of change

Yearlong Golden Jubilee celebration of Nagaland Bar Association launched

Morung Express News
Kohima | January 17

The yearlong Golden Jubilee celebration of the Nagaland Bar Association (NBA) was launched on January 17 at the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench in Kohima. Under the theme, 'Celebrating our Past, Inspiring the Future' the NBA will be commemorating the event in all the districts in Nagaland with an objective to render basic legal education to the mass. 

"Lawyers have always played an important role in society and made tremendous contribution in shaping the society," said Justice N Kotiswar Singh, Gauhati High Court during the event. As a living entity, the legal community will always have its pitfalls, viewed Singh, who, however maintained that the community is continually in the attempt to work and improvise. 

Impressed with the performances of not only senior lawyers but young lawyers in Nagaland, Justice Singh acknowledged the enthusiasm and passion of young lawyers. "This enthusiasm must be nurtured," said Singh while also reminding the many privileges of lawyers. One such privilege, according to Singh, is that fact that lawyers are not bonded by any authority. As members of the Bar, lawyers are given the privilege of the freedom to express. In this way, lawyers shape the society but Singh also reminded the responsibility of such privileges. 

"The Nagaland Bar Association has really grown from what I know. Now we have to progress and move forward to develop own plan of action," said Singh. 

"Judiciary is going to play an important role in Nagaland. Nagaland is coming out of the throes of insurgency and many issues are bound to come out," warned Singh adding that clashes in issues have to be resolved which is acceptable not only to the society but the Constitution. "Lawyers of Nagaland have to be active agents of the changes that will happen in Naga society. We always have analytical minds and the same analytical minds will become so important in dealing with all the contentious issues of the day," stated Singh. 

In a brief introductory speech, Advocate Talitsungba, President, NBA shared on how the judiciary has evolved in Naga society over the years. "Our Naga society has been deeply rooted in social customs and practices. But now in the modern society, customs and social practices alone is not enough to administer social harmony," said the senior Lawyer. "The Bar has come across a lot of hurdles during the past 50 years. 

The society was not modernized as it is, in those days, where members of the Bar has been humiliated and harassed. Today, lawyers are the torchbearers of the society," stated Talitsungba who informed that the yearlong celebration of the Jubilee would focus on the mass education in basic legal knowledge.