KG Kenye addressing the 9th Biennial General Conference of the Nagaland Law Students' Federation at Jubilee Memorial Center, Kohima on February 24. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Kohima | February 24
Lamenting that the state was not against the people of India but is unhappy with the government at the centre, Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, KG Kenye said, “It was not befitting for the largest democratic nation in the world like India to impose draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) against its own citizens.”
He was addressing the 9th Biennial General Conference of the Nagaland Law Students' Federation at Jubilee Memorial Center, Kohima on February 24.
“We need to be conversant of the special provisions given to us by the government as the Article 371 (A) and delves deeper into the clauses and chapters so that issues such as the Citizen Amendment Bills can be revisited. As long as we remain under the Indian Government, it is our duty to know the provisions well,” Kenye said.
He called upon the law students’ fraternity to acquire knowledge of contentious issues pertaining to the state of Nagaland and be well-informed and well read to lead the future.
Addressing the gathering, Rupin Sharma, IPS, Director General of Prisons, Home Guards, Civil Defence and SDRF said that even if Nagaland has three law colleges, it was imperative that Nagaland University should have a full fledged law campus with integrated 5-year programme since interaction of people in recent years had increased and there was need for more lawyers and expand legal profession.
As learned professionals, Rupin opined that it was imperative to take law to the masses especially among elders who had lived on values of moral and ethics in a community setup. He said "we are still clinging to some of our rigid mindsets of the past which are not relevant any longer many decades ago."
Stating that change is important for a society, Rupin said, “Nagaland at present was in the throes of change and future shock given the transitions and situations the generations have experienced.” He asserted that Law is needed when we live as a community and are developed due to conflict and conflict resolutions to set precedence for others and that justice and fairness is different in different perspective and cannot been in isolation but in a holistic manner.
Nino Iralu, Secretary (Judicial) Law and Justice Department said that fairness and justice are the main principles of Liberty and Equality. “The glory of justice and the majesty of Law are created not just by the Constitution, nor by the courts, nor by the officers of the law, nor by lawyers but by the men and women who are the protectors of the law as they are themselves protected by the law,” she asserted.
She said today's engagement with civil society is a priority and therefore, the pursuit of fairness and justice requires discourses for which our law federation should be well read and informed and tuning to the may law commentaries/recorded Judgment of High Court and Supreme Court.
In the presidential address, C Talimoa called the attention of the State government to usher due importance to Judiciary and stated that Nagaland State needed a separate fully functional High Court of its own and Directorate of Prosecution.
He said that the federation is set up to deliver trained services for the welfare of the law students and the state in particular. The President called to work for a cause and to lead the career path as a mission using the platform to change mindsets and take the state forward with agile qualities.
Earlier, the programme was chaired by Neiteo Koza, Human Rights Law Network, Coordinator.
