IT News
Imphal, July 17,
The 3rd Manipur State Conference of All India Lawyers’ Union (AILU) was held at Cheirap Court Hall , Imphal this Sunday.
The Inaugural Session of the conference was addressed by AILU National President Bikashranjan Bhattacharya, CPI(M) State Secretary Kshetrimayum Santa, AILU Tripura President Haribal Debnath, Columnist Advocate Chongtham Narendra , Uma Chandra from AILU Tripura and Puyam Tomcha Meetei AILU Manipur President. After floral tributes to the martyrs and welcome address by state Vice President of AILU Maisnam Jagajit Singh a condolence resolution was adopted and a two minutes silent was observed as a homage to the departed members of the union specifically mentioning the name of Comrade Hashim Abdul Halim, who was instrumental in the launching of AILU Manipur State unit .
Bikashranjan Bhattacharya , inaugurating the conference , in his speech talked about the Vishwa Kavi Rabindranath Tagore’s contribution to the Manipuri dance and the influences on him by the Manipuri culture and traditions for his writings on Chitrangada and the opening of Manipuri Dance Department in Viswabharati at Shantiniketan. Coming to the legal system , he further said that our issues in this country is concerning the justice delivery system to the people irrespective of caste,creed , colour and class . He, pinpointing the Constitution of India , said that our people should have equal justice on social, economic and political life but the present legal practice in the country denied the rights of the people enshrined in the Constitution which was framed by the Constituent Assembly . He further said that the AILU , as a legal practitioners’ united movement, sought to impart justice to the millions of people by expanding and strengthening AILU organisation to each and every nook and corner of India with uniting all legal professionals.
Emphasising the conditions of the masses Bikashranjan Bhattacharya pointed out that the 70 years of injustices meted out to the toiling masses steeled the lawyers and justices and enabled them to stand against the dictates of the ruling class administration for a better legal practice and system. He continued by noting that the rise of the far right forces, the Hindutva forces, coincide with the coming of BJP led NDA Government at the centre which is on the onslaught to the people in the name of capitalist development . The development cannot but be effected by neoliberalism and the rise of the divisive Hindutva communal forces . He concluded that we have to defend the independence of judiciary from the tyranny of fundamentalists Hindutva ruling combination and this can be achieved only through a united struggle and called for a people centric alternative policy .
Greeting the delegates and participants to the inaugural function of the conference Kshetrimayum Santa, the State Secretary of CPI(M), reminded the contributions to the establishment of AILU unit in Manipur made by the AILU leadership led by Comrade Hashim Abdul Halim, since deceased, including D K Aggarwal , former General Secretary of AILU ,Bharati Mukherjee,K Parthasarathi and S P Singh in 2009 . He said that we should live to the expectations of those leaders who mould the AILU to become one of the leading democratic legal practitioners’ organisations in the country.
Addressing the gathering columnist advocate Chongtham Narendra said that India as a vast country has a diverse legal systems of its own to deliver justice to the different communities who practices different culture and traditions. Time and situations also explained our laws in different ways to suit the ruling classes . He mentioned that the A K Gopalan vs State of Madras case was a landmark case for study . He said that ,now , the honourable Supreme Court by its decision on Rights to Privacy not only restated the liberties and values outlined in the Preamble , but also corrected some past judicial wrongs . Narendra continued that the AILU should have the best unit in Manipur as the union has a membership of 220 lawyers , most of them are young men and women in their 30s . He concluded that a strong union of lawyers in Manipur is the need of the hour during this conflict situation.
Haribal Debnath delivering his speech expressed his firm belief that AILU will become a force to reckon with in the North Eastern Region of India as shown by the Manipur unit of AILU . He said that the AILU has units in Assam, Manipur and Tripura in the region and he appeals to the delegates to help in the expansion of the union in neighbouring states viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland etc.
Puyam Tomcha Meetei in his presidential speech highlights the importance of legal profession for the upliftment and betterment of our society . He concluded his address by giving a positive note that AILU will become stronger in the days to come to serve the people.
The delegate session of the conference begin with the presentation of a Draft Report to the delegates by Salam Pari Luwang , State Secretary of AILU . Introducing the Draft Report he said that the Manipur unit of AILU took up issues concerning the common people of the state and the movement of the union attracted lots of young lawyers to the AILU fold . He further said that the Cheirap Court authority allowed the union to hold the conference in the Court campus indicated that the union has the respect of the legal fraternity. The Draft Report was adopted after discussion. The conference adopted the following resolutions: on the recruitment of legal services, on filling up of vacant staff , on Manipur University movement, on the unity and integrity of Manipur, on infrastructure development of the court premises in Manipur, on safeguarding of boundaries etc.
The conference elected a 21 members Manipur State Committee with Puyam Tomcha Meetei as President, Salam Pari Luwang as Secretary, Maisnam Jagajit Singh, Wahengbam Harendra and Phurailatpam Jibita Devi as Vice- Presidents, Th. Ashok Kumar, Waikhom Sushil and Atekpasu Ashabala Devi as Joint Secretaries , Moirangthem Dhanajit as Treasurer and K. Kirankumar as Office Secretary.
