Jan 26 2025 to Jan 26 2025 11:30 a.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

This panel will examine how the principles of equality and fraternity have shaped India’s democratic journey over the past 75 years. They will explore the relevance of these constitutional values in addressing contemporary challenges in the daily lives of Indian citizens like social inequities and polarisation. The discussion will also highlight the indigenous roots of these values within Karnataka’s rich philosophical and cultural traditions. Through diverse perspectives, the panel will reflect on how these constitutional values can be actualised in governance, culture, policy, and daily life.

This session is the fourth in the series titled ‘We the People’ to celebrate 75 years of our Constitution. As part of this series, DAKSH, in collaboration with BIC, is organising a series of lectures and panel discussions on various aspects of the Constitution.

The discussion will be conducted in both English and Kannada.

In collaboration with:

Speakers
Mary E John
Former Professor, Centre for Women’s Development Studies, New Delhi

Mary E John was formerly a Professor at the Centre for Women’s Development Studies, New Delhi. She was Director of the Centre from 2006-2012 and the Deputy Director of the Women’s Studies Programme at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi from 2001-2006. Her most recent publications include the co-edited volume Women in the Worlds of Labour: Interdisciplinary and Intersectional Perspectives and the monograph Child Marriage in an International Frame: A Feminist Review from India. She was the co-chair of a Task Force set up by the University Grants Commission to look into sexual harassment on Indian campuses and brought out the report Saksham: Measures for Ensuring Safety of Women and Programmes for Gender Sensitization on Campuses. Her areas of interest span the fields of women’s studies and feminism within the social sciences, as well as a more philosophical interest in the concepts and frameworks of feminist theoretical analysis. She now lives in Bangalore.
Rahamath Tarikere
Professor, Department of Kannada Literature Studies, Kannada University, Hampi (Retd.)

Rahamath Tarikere is a retired Professor in the Department of Kannada Literature Studies, Kannada University, Hampi (Karnataka/India). Tarikere has published books on Muharram, Sufism, Nathism, Shaktism and other local mystic cults of Karnataka. His research further includes works in literary criticism, multilingual texts, poetics and cultural studies on Kannada literature, as well as completed a monograph on Hindi film actress and singer Amirbai Karnataki. Some books are translated into Telugu, Marathi and English. Amirbai Karnataki has been published by JNU, New Delhi. Tarikere’s articles translated into English include, “Is there such a thing as Muslim Folklore?” (The Inner Mirror: Writings on society and culture, The Book Review Literary Trust, New Delhi, 2009); “Crime and Punishment: Inter-caste marriage in Shakta myths and rituals of Karnataka,” (Economic and Political Weekly, 2017): “The Language of Home and the Language of Literary Expression,” (Summer Hill, Indian Institute Advance Studies Review, Shimla, 2017); Kattiyanchina Daari (Collection of Critical Essays), has won the Sahitya Akademi Award, New Delhi (2010). Tarikere received  Karnataka Sahitya Academy Book Awards in 1992, 1998 and  2000, and is currently working on the Neo Buddhist culture of Karnataka.
Gautam Patel
Judge, Bombay High Court (Retd.)

Justice (Retd.) Gautam Patel began practice in 1987 at the Bombay High Court, working in civil litigation and environmental public interest matters. He held positions in the Bar Association, taught briefly at the Government Law College, wrote regularly for a local newspaper, and contributed articles to journals. He served as the Honorary Secretary of the Bombay Bar Association for two three-year terms from 1999 to 2005 and served on the Association’s Standing Committee till his appointment as a High Court judge. He was appointed a judge of the Bombay High Court in June 2013. Mr Justice Patel has previously served as a trustee on several public charitable trusts and foundations in the fields of education, environment and the hearing-impaired. He retired as a judge from the Bombay High Court on 24 April 2024.
Harish Narasappa
Co-Founder, DAKSH

Harish is a senior advocate and Co-Founder of DAKSH. He regularly appears before various courts and tribunals across India in connection with commercial, company, competition, tax, insolvency, TMT, banking and constitutional law matters. Harish has a BA, LLB (Hons.) from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, a BCL from the University of Oxford (where he was a Radhakrishnan Scholar), and a BA (Philosophy) from the University of London.