NAWANSHEHAR: On the directions of the National Legal Services Authority, the local judicial authorities Wednesday organized a seminar on the "Rights of Mentally Sick Persons" here  at Tara Singh Kahma Yadgari School for Special Children.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Gurvinder Singh Gill, who was the chief guest, in his address, said that the rights of the mentally-sick persons were fully protected under the constitution of the country which did not permit any discrimination against them on account of their mental health. He called upon the people to come forward to extend all kind of help to such people.

Judicial officers too would attend to complaints related to these people on priority, he assured. DC Gurpal Singh Bhatti also assured help to the mentally-sick persons. Additional District Attorney, Jalandhar Kanwalpreet Singh and advocate Sapna Arora gave detailed talks on the legal aspects of the issue while the psychiatrist Dr Ranbir Rana threw light on the reasons behind different kinds of mental sicknesses and stressed the need for living a stress-free life. The president of the District Bar Association H.P.S.Dhillon, president Nawanshahr Municipal Council Lalit Mohan Pathak and president of the NGO Upkar Coordination Society Yashpal Hafizabadi also spoke. The children were presented with gifts by the Judges.

A local octogenarian social activist Baba Naubat Rai was also honoured on the occasion for his selfless services towards poor and the sick   people. The CJM V.K.Goel revealed that another seminar on a bigger scale would be held in November.