Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Kolar LLP

Kolar Legal Literacy Programme

The bright sunny morning of Wednesday, the 11th of March saw an ebullient group of 17 Law Schoolites set off for the border town of Kolar, in an effort to raise awareness among the farmers over issues pertinent to them, thereby empowering them with their rights and remedies in law against any exploitation.

The peaceful meadows of the modern town were deceptive to the real zeal possessed by the village-folk. The venue of the LLP, atop a hill, was bustling with activity, every inch filled by the enthusiastic population of the village. It was amid the same enthusiastic audience that students of National Law School, Bangalore staged two street plays in the local language of Kannada. The zest of the villagers was matched by the zest of Law Schoolites themselves, some of who learnt dialogues of the unfamiliar language of Kannada in a matter of a few hours.

The first skit portrayed the predicament faced by agriculturists on being sold expired seeds and fertilisers. A rendezvous with a lawyer in the skit awakens them to the virtues of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, and the remedy available to them thereby, but only on fulfilling certain requirements.

The second skit, also elucidating on the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was an insight into the hassles faced by the local villagers owing to an erratic electricity supply, and related problems.

The group was then left free to explore the mounds of Kolar, but not before receiving the warm hospitality of the localites, through the preparation of an indigenous meal on mock banana leaves.

The long journey back under the starry night sky was filled with a lot of laughter and fun, when the group not only indulged in some games, but also in moments of quiet reflected upon new revelations or experiences gained through the day. The drive to Bangalore was passed with sincere hopes in everyone’s hearts of having made a difference.

--Radhika Chitkara

The following people attended the LLP

Sahana, Ashwita and Radhika from the first year

Deepika, Ramya, Aqseer, Meera, Pranav, Nishita, Rachita, Subhang from second year

Bhargavi, Megha, Soumya from third year

Vikram Hegde from fourth year

Khulali and Sriraj from fifth year