On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birthday, a team of Judges of District and Sessions Court, Dantewada visited Gumra, a village known for Naxalite activities, as part of a anti-liquor drive and advised the people of the village to follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi.
The team led by District judge Rajender Pradhan addressed the villagers on Wednesday advising them to shun the consumption of alcohol and abide by the laws and rules.
"Our aim is to spread awareness regarding drug and alcohol abuse, cleanliness and unemployment in the rural areas. We will continue doing this till January," Pradhan told reporters here.
The visit was a part of the 'Legal Education camp' being run at the behest of the District Legal Service Authority on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. However, this is the first time that judges have reached the villages directly as prior to this it was just the secretaries who used to come to villages.
"We made them aware of the rules and laws against alcohol and drug abuse. We told them the villagers that these habits lead to the destruction of health, money and respect in the society and urged them to peacefully participate in the development of the nation," Pradhan said.
Apart from Pradhan, Additional District Judge Vinod Devangan and Rakesh Som along with CJM Bhavna Thakur also participated in the event and answered the queries of the villagers.
On being asked about the effect such programs will have on the mostly illiterate population of the area, Pradhan said, "Being illiterate is not a crime and it will certainly not act as an impediment in our mission. They are intelligent people who will get the message and will inculcate them in their daily lives. We will keep visiting them and hold more such programs to educate them on topics like cleanliness, against drug abuse and others."
( With inputs from ANI )