Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad is a Pan India Organisation of Lawyers which is at the forefront of engagement with law and the Indian Judicial System for a sustainable and equitable development of the Nation. It is the largest Lawyers’ Organisation in the country.This is part of larger family of patriots who have dedicated themselves to rebuilding of our nation. The organisation makes the right interventions within justice delivery systems and contributes to law making process for the welfare of people and rejuvenation of institutions vital for the nation.The organisation was founded in 1992 with the initiative of nationalist thinker and social reformer Shri Dattopant Thengadi Ji.."
History: The ABAP has its genesis in the Constitutional Crisis of 1975 when a National Emergency was imposed upon the nation on the flimsy ground of ‘Internal Disturbance’. The period saw suspension of civil rights, censorship of the Press and en masse incarceration of political and social activists. It was in these critical times that a dire need was felt among the lawyers to step into the void and fight for the Constitutional and democratic values by organising themselves against the behemoth that was the State.
The idea of having an organisation of lawyers to fight for and defend civil liberties spawned in the form of various regional organisations specific to different States. In West Bengal some eminent Lawyers formed “Nationalist Lawyer's Forum” at Calcutta in the year 1977. In Maharastra was formed the “Junior Lawyers Forum” at Nagpur in the 1980s. In Kerala the “Bharatiya Abhivasaka Parishad” was formed in 1987 at Ernakulam. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, “Adhivakta Parishad Uttar Pradesh” was formed in 1992. Similar efforts were made in other parts of the country.
Despite functioning independently in different States, one thing common among all such organisations was that they were driven and helmed by eminent lawyers with a Nationalistic outlook, committed to use law to make a positive impact on the life of a common man. While these organisations continued to do excellent work in their respective States and regions, a need was felt to coalesce these efforts at the National Level for mutual learning and cooperation in order to replicate the outcome of such efforts at the National level.
Finally, on 7th September 1992, with the efforts and initiative of Late Shri Dattopant Thengadi Ji and other eminent lawyers, crystallised the idea of the Akhil Bhartiya Adhivakta Parishad as an umbrella organisation for all the like minded regional lawyers’ organisations working towards the common goal ofleveraging the law for social reforms and development.
After the conception the ABAP, the various organisations at the State level like “Nationalist Lawyers Forum” of West Bengal, “Junior Lawyers Forum” of Maharastra, “Bharatiya Abhivasaka Parishad” of Kerala, “Adhivakta Parishad Uttar Pradesh” and “Adhivakta Sangh” in Delhi got affiliated to the ABAP. Later,the State units of the Adhivakta Parishad were formed in other States.
The Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad was formally constituted at Delhi on 21 and 22 April 2001 and was registered under the ‘Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860’at the office of the Registrar of Societies, Government of Delhi on 4 May 1992.
Aims and Objectives: The ABAP, through its activities, seeks to train young advocates to be good lawyers with social commitment so that the justice delivery system is strengthened at all levels, free from pressures and corruption. Seen in that light, the Adhivakta Parishad is a catalyst catalysing the ‘Sajjan Shakti’ of the Society.
Adhivakta Parishad believes that Lawyers are the best defense of social order and justice. If a lawyer is not prepared to stand between state and persons, groups being persecuted it is the end of rule of law and democracy. The helpless, faceless, common man/woman in the village, in the forest, in urban slum, must have trust in the constitutional democratic system. This faith has to be restored, sustained, and nurtured.
Constituent Organisations: With its constituent units operating in all States and UTs of the country, the ABAP has emerged as the one true pan India representational organisation of lawyers reflecting the diversity of the country in true sense. This ensures that the organisation is not only inclusive in its outreach and agenda but also engages in issues which concern the nation as a whole. This also makes the ABAP the most diverse organisation of lawyers in the country.
Currently Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad has its members and activities in all parts of the country – North, South, West, East and North-East, in the Supreme Court, various High Courts, District and Lower Courts and Tribunals.
Organizational Structure
- The founding members of the Adhivakta Parishad included Justices H. R. Khanna, E. Venkat Ramaiya, Rama Jois, Jitender Veer Gupta, Guman Mal Lodha, U. R. Lalit as well as the senior advocate Ram Jethmalani.
- National Level: There is a National Executive of the Parishad consisting of the President, Vice-President, General Secretary, Organising Secretary, Treasurer, Secretaries, Zonal Secretaries and Members. Further, there is a National Council of the Adhivakta Parishad which is the highest policy and decision making body in all matters pertaining to the Constitution, Organisation, finance and other activities of the Parishad. All the members of the National Executive and 7 members from each State Level Constituent Organisation, affiliated with the Parishad, constitute the National Council.
- State Level: Every State Level Constituent Organisation, affiliated to the Parishad, has its State Executive body. District committees are formed under the guidance and approval of State Executive Committee. For a large district, Sub-Divisional Committee may be formed under the guidance and approval of District and State Committee. Individual Court Units are formed and function under the guidance and approval of District and State Committee. These Court Units are the micro level units of the Parishad. Further, in order to make the organisation gender inclusive and truly representational, pursuant to the conference of women Advocates in Indore, the Adhivakta Parishad resolved that in each functional unit one vice president, one joint secretary and two executive members shall be women. This is apart from women occupying the posts of President, General secretary in some states and local units. Every three years a National Conference is held where thousands of advocates from all over the country participate. The National council meets every two years, whereas the National Executive, wherein the General secretaries of all the state units are special invitees, meets every year.
Activities
- Nyaya Kendra–One of the flagship projects of the ABAP, the Nyaya Kendras are Free Legal Aid Centres established to make justice accessible to the socially and economically excluded section of the society.
- Legal Awareness Camp - To organise Legal Awareness Camps at the doorstep of the targeted people/community in order to make them aware about their individual rights or collective rights as the Citizen of the Country.
- Seminar/Symposium/Workshop- The ABAP regularly organises National/State/District/Sub-Division/Court Level Seminars, Symposiums and Workshops to not only equip its members with the latest legal developments but also to discuss and deliberate upon the issues chosen in accordance with the level at which the seminar is organised.
- Study Circle - The Court units organise a periodical study circle in their respective units under the guidance of Senior Advocates and with the co-operation of the Junior Advocates on subject matters like a particular Statute/Act/Law, its application and operation in society, on new Bills, on an amendment to an Act, or on any other issue as required.
- Public Interest Litigation –The ABAP has effectively utilised the tool of PIL from time to time in order to make intervention and espouse cause on behalf of the vulnerable sections of the society like the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the farmers, the informal sector workers, women etc. Noticeably, the Parishad does not file cases on these issues in its name. The local grass root activists, organisations are represented, assisted and guided by the advocates from Parishad.
- Study and Research Group- Similar to a study circle at the court units, a study and research group is formed and operates at every State and at the National level in order to work on the Bills, new/amended Acts, Laws and Rules.
Publication: The ABAP publishes a quarterly bilingual magazine called ‘Nyaya Pravah’. Published from New Delhi, the magazine consists of articles written by Hon’ble Judges, Eminent Lawyers, Renowned Constitutional Experts, Professors and Lecturers of Law Institutes/Universities/Colleges, Law Students, Great Thinkers and Social Activists.
Conferences: The ABAP keeps contributing to the academic development of the Indian legal fraternity through various conferences and symposiums. A few of these conferences are listed below:
2015 - ‘Realizing Constitutional Goals & Challenges Ahead’. Inaugural speech was given by Shri Dipak Misra, former Chief Justice of India and also addressed by Shri Rama Jois, J. and former Governor of State of Jharkhand; Shri SadanandGowda, former Minister of law & Justice, Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri, Karnataka High Court, Justice A. R. Masoodi, Allahabad High Court, and Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan, Kerala High Court.
2012 - ‘Vitalizing Constitutional & Democratic Institutions’ which was graced by Justice A.K Patnaik, former Judge of Supreme Court of India, and A.P. Shah, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court.
2009 - ‘60th Year of Constitution of India and the Road Ahead’ was presided by Justice K.C. Takkar, Retd. Judge of Supreme Court of India.
Other National Conferences were held in 2006 on ‘Challenges to the National Integration- Role of Legal Fraternity’, in 2003 on the topic of ‘Towards Strengthening of India’, in 2000 on ‘Protection of Small Scale Industries &complete Information Technology- A Weapon for Social Upliftment’, in 1999 on ‘Law on Conversion’, in 1998 on ‘Protection of National Sovereignty’, in 1997 on ‘Future of Parliamentary System’, in1995 on ‘Environmental Protection’, in 1994 on ‘Speedy Justice’, in 1993 on ‘Evolution and Development of Judicial System consistent with Bhartiya Traditional Values’ and in the year 1992 on ‘Towards an Indigenous Model’.
Lecture Series :In the year 2020, the ABAP launched and organised two major series of lectures on important contemporary legal issues. The first being the Dattopant Thengadi Lecture Series and the other being the N.R. Madhava Menon Lecture Series. Both the series’ were graced by eminent Senior Lawyers of the Bar as speakers like Mr. KK Venugopal, Mr. Mukul Rohatgi, Mr. Mahesh Jethmalani, Mr. Sidharth Luthra, Mr. Sajan Poovayya, Ms. Pinky Anand, Mr. Rakesh Dwivedi, Mr. Vikramjit Banerjee, Mr. R. Venkatramani etc.