Legal Literacy Initiatives in Khairhani Municipality, Chitwan

Khairhani Municipality has conducted legal literacy classes to provide information on the current legal system and the constitution.

Through the municipal judicial committee, classes have been conducted for school-level children on the current legal system. Legal literacy programs have been undertaken in basic schools, secondary schools, women's groups, marginalized communities, and other communities in the municipality. 

The Deputy Chief of Khairhani Municipality, Kavita Upreti stated that the legal literacy campaign aims to enable people to resolve disputes from their homes and villages rather than having to approach the judicial committee for legal remedies. Generally, disputes include household quarrels, organizational disputes, and civil disputes.

Upreti stated that such programs, which aim to provide information on how to resolve these issues at the grassroots level, hold significant importance. She added that classes have been conducted for school children, teachers, community groups, community forest committee members, and women's groups.

Shambhu Bartaula, the Principal of Kankali Secondary School, stated that the legal information camp has been very effective. He mentioned that by including legal topics in social studies at the school level, students will gain knowledge.

He further mentioned that students have gained an opportunity to receive information. He further stated that such programs, where children learn about resolving household disputes, avoiding complications after disputes, and the provisions of punishment, are beneficial as they reduce disputes.

Anjana Acharya, the Principal of Jana Jiwan Secondary School, stated that students have received information about how violence, murder, and quarrels lead to problems and legal consequences. She said that literacy classes have increased the capacity of children and that they have gained basic knowledge about legal provisions. She mentioned that such programs facilitated by experts should be conducted at least twice a year.

The judicial committee has conducted legal literacy programs for students from grades 6 to 12. Sanjaya Chaudhary, a legal facilitator and advocate of the Khairhani Municipality Judicial Committee, informed that legal literacy programs have been conducted in 12 community and institutional schools. He shared that he has provided training to individuals, classes, and communities from various backgrounds.

These classes have been conducted for women from rural areas of the municipality, including the Tharu community. The legal facilitator, Sanjaya Chaudhary, stated that before the program, people who hesitated to attend the classes now demand to learn new topics after the camp.