Karnataka - Bangalore   

Nesargi demands a panel to look into complaints of sexism

Staff Reporter

There should be at least five women judges in High Court: ex-MLA

CELEBRATION TIME: Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph with artists from Sagar, who performed `Dollu Kunitha' at the Conference of Women Lawyers, in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE: Senior advocate and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Pramila Nesargi on Saturday called for the constitution of a committee by the State Government to look into discrimination against women.

Ms. Nesargi was speaking at a one-day conference of women advocates organised as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Karnataka High Court in which several former and present judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts, advocates and law students participated.

In her welcome speech, Ms. Nesargi urged the Advocate-General Uday Holla, and Bangalore Advocates Association president D.L. Jagadeesh to prevail upon the Government to set up a committee to study the problems women faced in the State, including judiciary. She urged the Government to release at least Rs. 50 crore for setting up a complex for women advocates, which should include a modern library.

She regretted that there was only one woman judge in the High Court and sought at least five more women judges.

She urged the High Court to implement the provisions of Article 15 (3) of the Constitution. She said the Federation of Women Lawyers, as part of its golden jubilee, had decided to adopt and support some tribal villages.

The former Supreme Court judge Sujatha Manohar said women were being discriminated against in several fields and called for attitudinal changes in society. She urged women advocates to ensure that women were made aware of their rights and the new laws. She said many women were not aware that they could inherit ancestral property and women advocates could take the lead in educating other women about such issues. Usha Sukumaran, former judge, spoke on sexism and the need for society to change its attitude towards women advocates.

Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Cyriac Joseph, senior judge of the Karnataka High Court V. Gopala Gowda, High Court judges, and senior advocates were present.

Band

A band of seven women drummers welcomed the guests and left the audience spellbound with their performance at Gyana Jyothi auditorium on the Central College premises. Every speaker at the conference referred to the "beat of the drums" and said it signified the emergence of the new determined woman.

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