By Molla Jasimuddin
Haldia, East Midnapore: An awareness camp on mediation was organised at the Kumar Chandra Jana Auditorium in Haldia, East Midnapore, on Saturday afternoon to spread awareness about mediation as an effective mechanism for providing speedy and affordable justice at the grassroots level.
The programme was organised under the guidance of the Mediation and Conciliation Committee of the Calcutta High Court, with support from the District Legal Services Authority. The camp was conducted under the Supreme Court’s ‘Mediation for the Nation 3.0’ initiative, with the theme ‘Micro Level Mediation Awareness Programme’.
Former Calcutta High Court judges Justice Debi Prasad De and Justice Madhumati Maitra, District Judge Jiban Kumar Sadhu, High Court Mediation Committee Member Secretary Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Director Nabanita Nandi, Mediation Centre O.C. Dr Subhasish Muhuri, District Legal Services Authority Secretary Sudipa Banerjee, and senior police and administrative officials were among those present at the programme.
The event also witnessed notable participation from district administration officials, advocates from the Tamluk-Haldia courts, law clerks, law students and ICDS workers.
Speaking about the importance of mediation, Dr Subhasish Muhuri, O.C. of the Mediation Committee, and Assistant Director Nabanita Nandi said that mediation helps disputing parties reach an amicable settlement through dialogue and mutual consent. They also highlighted that the process can provide a faster and more cost-effective means of dispute resolution.
It was informed that, subject to the consent of both parties and applicable legal provisions, mediation is available in a wide range of cases before the Calcutta High Court and subordinate courts, while serious criminal cases that are not legally suitable for mediation remain outside its scope.
The awareness initiative aimed to strengthen public understanding of mediation and promote alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, particularly at the grassroots level, so that suitable disputes can be resolved more quickly, economically and amicably.
