Srinagar: On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), in collaboration with the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and the J&K Legal Services Authority, hosted a landmark regional event at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar.
The conference marked the launch of the NALSA Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana – 2025 and the North Zone Regional Conference on “Reaffirming the Constitutional Vision of Justice for Defence Personnel & Tribals: Bridging the Gaps.”
The programme was presided over by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surya Kant, Judge, Supreme Court of India and Executive Chairman, NALSA. Dignitaries present included Sh. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Justice; Sh. Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, UT of J&K; Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice, High Court of J&K and Ladakh; Sh. Omar Abdullah, Hon’ble Chief Minister; Hon’ble Justice Sanjeev Kumar, Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority; Hon’ble Smt. Justice Sindhu Sharma, Executive Chairperson, Ladakh Legal Services Authority; Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command; and other sitting Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, senior military leadership, and members of civil society.
Hon’ble Justice Sindhu Sharma, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Executive Chairperson, Ladakh Legal Services Authority, in her welcome address introduced the twin objectives of the conference—justice for the defence families and tribal communities—as moral and constitutional imperatives. She described the Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana as a symbol of national gratitude and empathy, designed to provide legal support through legal clinics operated by trained ex-servicemen acting as Nyaya Mitras.
Chief Justice Arun Kumar Palli, in his keynote address, highlighted the neglect of protective provisions under the Army, Navy, and Air Force Acts, calling for their urgent revival and institutional implementation. He announced the development of a Digital Case Management System (DTCMS) tailored to address the needs of defence personnel.
Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, delivered an emotionally resonant address highlighting the practical and psychological burden borne by soldiers due to legal proceedings during deployment. He praised the judiciary’s move as a transformative and morale-boosting reform.
Justice Sanjeev Kumar, Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority, emphasized the constitutional imperative of tribal inclusion and access to justice. He announced the establishment of 22 Samvad Units under Samvad Scheme – 2025, a NALSA initiative to ensure legal services reach Scheduled Tribes and other nomadic groups. Innovations under the scheme include mobile legal vans, tribal paralegal volunteers, and mobile hospital partnerships.
Justice Surya Kant, in his presidential address, invoked the poetry of Ghulam Ahmad Mehjoor
“Valo ha Bhagwano, nov baharuk shan paida kar” calling for a new spring of justice and dignity. He credited the J&K Legal Services Authority with conceptualizing the scheme, reiterated the prioritization of ex-servicemen as paralegal volunteers and counsels, and reaffirmed NALSA’s commitment to building localised, compassionate justice delivery systems.
In a key highlight, engagement letters were handed over to Veer Naris and ex-servicemen formally joining the scheme as paralegal volunteers. The logo of the NALSA Veer Parivar
Sahayata Yojana – 2025 was unveiled, and a special kiosk promoting traditional Ladakhi handicrafts was inaugurated by Justice Surya Kant and accompanying judges.
Valo ha Bhagwano, nov baharuk shan paida kar: SC judge invokes Mehjoor
