'There Can Be No True Democracy Without Fullest Participation by Women': Justice Ravindra Bhat

Trailblazing Women in Law: Shyamlha Pappu Law Foundation Lecture By Justice Ravindra Bhat A very good evening to the family members of late Senior Advocate, Ms. Shyamlha Pappu present here, her colleagues from the bar, well-wishers, and ladies and gentlemen – those who are present in the audience today, and to others who are tuning into the livestream online. It is a pleasure to be addressing you today, on this topic that is rather dear to my heart. I. Introduction The recollection of Indian legal history, mirrors the male-dominated, colonially rooted, and strongly casteist backdrop of our legal system. While not a justification, it does explain why unquestionably remarkable trailblazing women – a few of which I wish to speak about on, have been forgotten or rendered invisible when chronicling legal history. Having been kindly invited by Mr. Krishnamoorthi to deliver the inaugural lecture organised by the Shyamlha Pappu Foundation, which is in honour of his mother – who was an indomitable force at the Bar, I thought this topic would be apt for the occasion. Designated at the record young age of 38 years, Ms. Pappu was an extremely gifted speaker – one who could sway judges with her oratory skills, supported by rigorous understanding of the law. Deeply influenced by the independence movement, she began her illustrious career as a lawyer for the working class and went on to later represent litigants in a variety of women's issues. This brought her in close association with several NGOs to whom she continued to provide legal services. But her contributions cannot be limited to just this – having been a senior lawyer in the formative years of the Supreme Court, her participation in many matters have definitely contributed to its early jurisprudence. Her enduring emphasis on the directive principles of policy and their importance deserves special mention. A little-known fact about her, is that outside the courtroom where she displayed her oratory skills, she was also an extremely talented singer! My first interaction with Ms. Pappu was in January 1981, when I was asked to present myself before the ASR Memorial Charitable trust, which used to confer a kind of annual award to legal scholars. Having been chosen, I went to the office of the trust, where Ms Pappu interviewed me. I do not recollect anything about what she asked me, but what stuck with me was that she was extremely kind. A year or so later, when I entered the legal profession, she was the only woman Senior advocate at the Bar for quite a while. Once she came to know that I had some connection with Karnataka, she always claimed that affinity with me. This lecture today, is my attempt to draw attention to some of those incredible women who shaped the law, and its making, and remind us of their immense contribution. This is in the hope that it will inspire you all to read more about them and bring their stories to the mainstream, where they rightfully belong. To start off, I'll begin from the late 1940s – the constituent assembly debates; and in the second half of my address, speak briefly about some women lawyers who despite revolutionising the legal profession and even the judiciary, do not occupy the space they deserve in our conventional knowledge, currently. II. Constituent Assembly Members Only fifteen women members were part of our male dominated Constituent Assembly. The efforts and contribution of these women has been overshadowed, often forgotten while talking about the Constitution-making process. This is further complicated by the lens of caste, region, and economic class. Today I wish to speak briefly on a few of them, to showcase the important cross-section that they represented, the essence of their struggles, the dissents made by them and consequently, its results which have had an enduring effect in the shaping of our Constitution and nation-building. A. Durgabai Deshmukh I'll start with Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh. Durgabai Deshmukh was a fierce rebel. She refused to accept societal limitations imposed on her, choosing to always take matters into her own hands. When she was eight years old, she was married off to a man much senior to her, in age. Within a few years, she not only convinced her family to allow her to break away from the union, but also re-started her education. A few years later, while applying for an M.A. in political science, Andhra University regretted its inability to grant her admission as there was no women's hostel. Durgabai promptly put in an advertisement in the local newspaper, rallied a few women and started her own hostel. The result was a first-class degree, with the prestigious Tata scholarship to study at London School of Economics. Durgabai's spirit of fighting against all odds to do the right thing, combined with her dedication to social upliftment, gave her the title of 'Mother of Social Work' by Indira Gandhi. She ...

'There Can Be No True Democracy Without Fullest Participation by Women': Justice Ravindra Bhat

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