High Court: Husbands using women pradhan as ‘rubber stamps’

The Allahabad High Court has criticized the practice of husbands acting as proxies for women Pradhans in Uttar Pradesh, observing that such interference undermines the objective of providing reservation for women in politics.

Mr. Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery  while dismissing a writ petition said that a he has no business to interfere with the working of Gram Sabha.The court further said that ‘Pradhanpati’ illegally  undertakes work of a woman Pradhan, and woman Pradhan only acts like a rubber stamp and for all practical purpose.

The petition was filed by a ‘Pradhanpati’  of Gram Sabha of  village Madpuri in Nagina tehsil of Bijnor district through its Pradhan Karmjeet Kaur,

All major decisions are taken by so called ‘Pradhanpati’, and elected representative just acts like mute spectator. The present writ petition is a glaring example of such a situation,” it observed.

The writ petition was not accompanied by any resolution in favour of elected pradhan authorizing her husband to file this writ petition but the affidavit accompanied with the petition was sworn by Sukhdev Singh, the husband of Kaur.

In the capacity of Pradhan, petitioner has no power to delegate her rights, duties and obligations to her husband or any other person, arising out of her elected post,” the court said.”The ‘Pairokar’, has no business to interfere with the working of Gaon Sabha.

If such act is permitted it will not only frustrate objective of women empowerment, but also object of providing specific reservation to women to come forward and join main stream of politics and increase their participation in social, economic and cultural growth of nation,” the court added.

Later the court dismissed the writ petition  with cost of Rs 5,000 each to be paid by petitioner Karmjeet Kaur and her husband, Sukhdev Singh (pairokar in present writ petition) by demand draft from their respective bank accounts in favour of Registrar General of this court within two weeks.