KOCHI: In a bid to end male dominance in the Kochi Palace Administration Board, the Kerala High Court has directed the government to take up the matter and allow the participation of women in the administration of the palace.
The court observed though the nation had a female Prime Minister and President and the state has marked their presence in almost every fields, with proven ability, the provision to disqualify female members to the board continues without any change. The court also directed to reconstitute the board within one month.
The proposed amendment should ensure at least one female member be included in the trustee board and the court also expressed its view the provision which provides for nomination of ‘male members of the family’ need be modified as ‘members of the family’, as requested by the petitioners without qualifying the same as male or female.
The court issued the order on the petition filed by Kochammini Thampuran, Palace No 11, Tripunithura and nine other female members of the erstwhile Royal family of Cochin challenging the disqualification imposed on them from being nominated as trustees of the Palace Administration Board.
The court also declared that Section 4 of the Valiamma Thampuran Kovilakam Estate and the Palace Fund Proclamation IX of 1124 ME stipulating nomination of only the male members of the family to be trustees is unconstitutional. The petitioners informed the female members of the royal family submitted representations before all the authorities requesting the inclusion of female members. The matter was taken up before the palace administration as well as the state government. Even though two bills were presented during the tenure of 12th and 13th Kerala Legislative Assembly, they lapsed.
The state submitted at present there was no request pending before it to reintroduce the lapsed bill seeking an amendment to the 1961 Act. The proposal to bring in an amendment to the Act 1961 requires policy decision of the government which requires detailed examination and consultation and it was a time-consuming process.
The government will take an appropriate decision as and when the lapsed bill is reintroduced.
The court observed by accepting the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), India has committed itself to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms including to incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws, and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women; to ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination. The state was also duty bound to act in tune with the provisions in the rules in order to repeal the rule which provides discrimination towards women.