The SLIC West Bengal Unit was established in Kolkata in 2000, primarily to provide pro bono legal aid to prisoners detained in various correctional homes across the state. Over the years, the unit has expanded its work, and now engages in providing pro-bono/low-cost legal aid and advice to the poor and marginalized persons, persons with disabilities and socially discriminated sections. A core component of our programmes is engaging with people and working in collaboration with different stakeholders, including grassroots organizations, academics, policy-makers, the judiciary, students and activists. At present, our activities span across 15 districts of West Bengal. The unit holds the distinctions for filing the first domestic violence case in West Bengal, followed by many landmark judgments on domestic violence. We provide legal training on a wide range of rights-based issues to activists, district lawyers, and other key stakeholders at the grassroots level. The unit also provides legal aid to Rohingya children who are being housed at juvenile homes across West Bengal and makes efforts to reunite them with guardians and relatives who are living in different parts of India. What our clients and partners say about our work “I was sexually assaulted by a lawyer (he was representing my husband in a case) and his family members in Kolkata. I came to SLIC as no other lawyer was willing to take up my case as it was against another lawyer. At SLIC, I was attended by Aparajitadi, Advocate Ankan Biswas, and Adv. Indrajeet who took up my case and gave me the support I needed.” - Sexual assault survivor (Name withheld for privacy) “The people at SLIC Kolkata unit not only provide pro-bono legal aid for our cases (for women from marginalized communities and poor backgrounds), they also counsel and encourage the women to rebuild their lives. We have always got the help we needed at any hour and the staff has become like family to us at Saujatya Family Counselling Centre.” - Mousumi Sarkar, Counsellor at Saujatya Family Counselling Centre. “The staff at SLIC Kolkata unit is well versed with trans politics and the staff here understands the various identities under the transgender umbrella and their issues. The community is so connected to people here that they call Aparajitadi ‘maa’! That really helps us when we bring cases to them. SLIC office has become a hub not just for addressing legal problems faced by the community but also a space where transgender politics and rights are discussed and we work on furthering them together. Sometimes I call them at 11 in the night and they have never refused help. I would say this space is a pioneer for TG politics and we don’t just get legal support here but also the ‘human’ support required.” - Ranjita Sinha, Trangender activist, Founder, Gokhale Road Bandhan, All Trans and Hijras in Bengal (ATHB). “SLIC helped me in the aftermath of the acid attack on me. Not only did they take up my case and got me an enhanced compensation that is of Rs. 3,00,000 they also offered me a job here and helped me regain confidence and faith in life. I try to extend the same support and care to the acid attack survivors who now come to us.” - Sanchayita Yadav, Acid attack survivor, Social activist and office administrator at SLIC. District Lawyers Program The West Bengal unit runs a District Lawyers Program partnering with lawyers in 15 districts across West Bengal. The aim is to further litigation at the district level, reach out to clients located in and around small districts across the state, and advance the state of human rights in west Bengal. To know about our District Lawyers Click here.