| Event Name | Gender justice and the Indian Constitution |
| Year | 2021-2022 |
| Date | 08 March, 2022 |
| Guest Speaker | Ms. Lara Kesani |
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, PiCA Anubhuti in association with Soroptimist Welfare Association supported by the Women Development Cell of Panvel Campus organized SI Excellence Awards on 8th March, 2022 at 5.15 pm. Ms. Lara Kesani, Lawyer and Human Rights Advocate is the recipient of the award this year.
WHO IS MS. LARA KESANI?
‘AN ADVOCATE FOR PEACE AND COMMUNAL HARMONY’
“I’m a lawyer, practicing human rights law in the Mumbai High Court. I’m a part of PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties), a national network on civil liberties and democratic rights, and also other collectives and feminist groups. In my practice I look at constitutional rights, environmental law and am part of several movements and struggles for that work. I am the child of an interfaith marriage. I grew up in Bombay and saw the ‘92 riots as a child. When I was in college, we lived in a progressive space with all kinds of friends from different faiths. I was in government aided schools and colleges, and had a lot of friends from diverse socio-economic groups, caste and religious locations. We used to intermingle and go to each other’s homes, and had a kind of familiarity with each other’s cultures. I feel the current generation that has grown up with so much hatred does not have that. That’s why I feel fiercely protective of this syncretic culture and oppose communalism and casteism. When I was in college some of us stood up against the brahmanical anti-reservation stir led by upper caste students. There was a push back from the colleges, as the anti reservation agitation was a loud vociferous movement. It came from the technology and management institutes of India, a disgusting show of brahmanical patriarchy and tyranny. When the 2014 elections happened I didn’t anticipate that people would have so much hatred for others and such a false sense of loyalty for their own religion, that they would forget the Godhra riots and lap up the communal propaganda. After 2014, it’s been an extremely different world, a stark change, where the politics of hate that we oppose is now in power, using this power to crush the voices of the people and abusing it. We’re veering towards an authoritative regime, a fascist rule, and it’s a very scary world for many people.”
ABOUT THE EVENT
The event was held on an online platform via zoom meeting on 08 th of march, 2022. Students, Faculty and womens in and around the campus around 100 people joined the meeting. The meeting was an effort to appreciate the women of india and also to felicitate Ms. Lara Kesani with an SI Excellence Awards for her brilliance and compassion as a human rights lawyer and activist. She broadened our perspective about Women Justice and our Indian Constitution by highlighting her knowledge and experience.
