Dispute-Eater: An Initiative of Ram Yatan Sharma Memorial Trust

Dispute-Eater: An Initiative of Ram Yatan Sharma Memorial Trust
Eight Years of Journey and 156 Full-Stops
An original idea, a social commitment, and an initiative to resolve disputes before they turn into court cases.

“Promote settlement, Save Families and Reduce the Burden of Court Cases.”

An Idea That Opened a New Way

Disputes are a part of society, but every dispute does not have to become a court case. If both parties are given an opportunity to communicate, understand each other and reach a mutual agreement at the right time, many disputes can be resolved before they reach the court.

With this thought, Ram Yatan Sharma Memorial Trust was established on 3rd December 2018. Along with it, we launched an original initiative called Dispute-Eater.

The initiative’s most important feature is its independent, original concept. It is not copied from any existing organisation or model. It is an independent idea developed to address a real social need.

The basic principle of Dispute-Eater is simple: Resolve a dispute before it becomes a court case.

The First Full-Stop: A Small Success That Built Great Confidence

In 2018, a girl developed a relationship with an employee working at a bank where she used to visit to withdraw money. Later, when the matter of marriage came up, the boy started avoiding it. The girl approached Dispute-Eater for help.

Dispute-Eater invited both parties to its office, counselled them and helped them communicate with each other. The effort was successful. The boy agreed to marry, and they got married. Today, they are living happily with their children.

This was the first Full-Stop achieved by Dispute-Eater.

This success strengthened the belief that every dispute does not have to end in litigation. Sometimes, timely communication and a sincere effort can change the future of a family.

This was also the beginning of Dispute-Eater’s journey towards Pre-Judicial Conflict Resolution, which means resolving disputes before a court case is filed.

Eight Years of Journey: 156 Disputes Resolved

Since its beginning, Dispute-Eater has mainly worked towards resolving three types of disputes:

• Family Disputes
• Property Disputes
• Compoundable Criminal Disputes

In family disputes, the first effort is to bring the family together wherever possible. If living together is not possible, the effort is to help both parties reach a peaceful and respectful separation by mutual agreement.

Starting with just one Full-Stop on 3rd December 2018, Dispute-Eater has successfully resolved 156 disputes up to November 2026.

Year-wise achievements:

156 Full-Stops: Category-wise Details

One important fact is that 104 family disputes have been resolved. Out of these, 96 were pending in court, including 18 cases related to Restitution of Conjugal Rights and 78 Divorce cases. In addition, 8 family disputes were resolved before any court case was filed.

Our Success Is More Than Just a Number

The achievement of Dispute-Eater should not be judged only by the number of 156 resolved disputes. Its real achievement lies in promoting the idea that disputes can be settled through communication and mutual understanding before they turn into court cases.

When pending court cases are settled by mutual agreement, the parties may get relief from lengthy litigation, and the burden on courts can also be reduced. Similarly, resolving a dispute before filing a case can prevent a possible court case from arising.

Dispute-Eater is neither a court nor a statutory judicial body. It is a private dispute resolution initiative based on mutual consent. Its purpose is not to replace the judicial system but to support it by helping people settle their disputes peacefully.

We believe that increasing the number of courts alone is not enough to reduce the burden of litigation. It is equally important to develop a culture in society where disputes are resolved through communication and mutual agreement.

Full-Stop: An End to a Dispute and a New Beginning

At Dispute-Eater, every successful settlement is given a special identity — Full-Stop.

For one family, it may mean getting back together. For another, it may mean a respectful separation. For someone else, it may mean freedom from a long-standing property dispute or unnecessary litigation.

Therefore, Full-Stop is not just a word or a number for us. It represents the successful end of a dispute and the possibility of a new beginning.

The Journey Continues…

Our dream is to develop a mindset in society where people think of communication and mutual settlement before choosing litigation whenever a dispute arises.

We do not claim that Dispute-Eater can resolve every dispute. But we strongly believe that every dispute does not necessarily have to end in a court case.

For us, 156 Full-Stops represent 156 successful efforts, new beginnings for many families, and 156 steps towards reducing the burden of court cases.

Our aim is not merely to end disputes, but to prevent disputes from becoming court cases.

✍️ Dilip Kumar
Secretary
Ram Yatan Sharma Memorial Trust
Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India