To mark the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) will launch a scheme to provide free legal aid to the families of soldiers.
According to a PTI report, the ‘Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana’ was virtually launched on Saturday. Along with it, NALSA’s executive chairman also inaugurated legal services clinics to be set up in Sainik Welfare Boards across states, said Kuldeep Sharma, Secretary and Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of District Legal Services Authority.
A legal services clinic at the headquarters of Himachal Pradesh Ex-Servicemen Corporation in Hamirpur was also inaugurated virtually, Sharma said.
What is the NALSA Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana? How does it help soldiers?
In a landmark initiative, and for the first time in India’s history, legal assistance will be proactively provided to the families of ex-servicemen and serving soldiers.
Under the NALSA initiative, panel lawyers and para-legal volunteers of the legal services authority will provide free legal aid to soldiers. The initiative will help relieve soldiers from the domestic legal burdens while they serve in harsh terrains and far-flung regions.
According to an NDTV report, sources said that Justice Surya Kant, Executive Chairman of the NALSA, was deeply moved by the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor. He then began exploring ways in which the judiciary could contribute more directly to their well-being.
The new scheme will address a long-standing issue: soldiers deployed in remote locations often lack the ability to follow through on legal cases involving family property, domestic dispute, or land matters.
This is where the scheme kicks in. NALSA will intervene to ensure that such cases are properly represented in courts across the country.
The support will also extend to paramilitary personnel, including those from the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and others who serve in similarly isolated and high-risk conditions, the NDTV report said.
26th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations
On the occasion of the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas on Saturday, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, paid tribute at the National War Memorial to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the 1999 Kargil War.
According to an ANI report, with Indian flags held high, the atmosphere reverberated with chants of “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”. The padyatra witnessed enthusiastic participation from students and local residents, who walked together to honour the courage and sacrifices of the Indian Armed Forces.
A cultural tribute was also part of the event, where students dressed in traditional attire took to the stage to perform. During the padyatra, students emotionally rendered the patriotic song “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon”, moving many in the crowd.
(With inputs from agencies)