Litigation Free Model is the social and community model for managing rural development conceived and developed by Nanaji Deshmukh, a social worker and veteran leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh .
The concept finds its origin in the idea of Gram Swaraj (translation: Village Self Sufficiency) propagated by the Hindu organizations like Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It is inspired by the philosophy of Hindutva ideologues like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and also the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.
Nanaji Deshmukh retired from politics at the peak of his political career in 1977 and dedicated himself to building a rural based economic model of development. He found to his dismay that lot of energies of the rural people were wasted in litigations, which left them both impoverished and exploited. He said "If people fight amongst each other, they will have no time for development". Hence a method of sorting conflicts and differences was brought about that was based on the ancient Indian principles of consensus making and alternate conflict resolution, which has been called the Litigation Free Model.
The Deendayal Research Institute organization started by Nanaji Deshmukh strives to make India litigation-free. As he puts it "Maybe we will not live to see that day but generations to come will definitely see a litigation-free India."
Reception
Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has lavished praise on veteran Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Nanaji Deshmukh and the organization started by him, the Deendayal Research Institute (an organization of the Sangh Parivar), for giving the nation the litigation-free model of resolving disputes he had devised. The President said "In Chitrakoot, I met Nanaji Deshmukh and his team members belonging to the Deendayal Research Institute (DRI). DRI is a unique institution developing and implementing a village development model which is most suited for India," the president said. "Apart from all the development activities, the institute is facilitating a cohesive conflict free society. As a result of this, I understand that the 80 villages around Chitrakoot are almost litigation-free". "The villagers have unanimously decided that no dispute will find its way to the court. The differences will be sorted out amicably in the village itself. The reason given by Nanaji Deshmukh is that if the people fight among each other, they have no time for development," the President added. "I consider that this model may be propagated in many parts of the country by societal organizations, judicial organizations and government," Kalam contended.
Praising Nanaji Deshmukh for his single-minded devotion to the uplift of the people, Kalam said “what the octogenarian leader was doing at Chitrakoot should be an eye-opener for others.”