Meet the lawyers who fought brave and pro bono for the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan
Dhishan Kukreja, Raju Moray and Sagar Rane at the Press Club yesterday. Pics/Suresh Karkera
These three men-in-black — advocates Raju Moray, Sagar Rane and Dhishan Kukreja — took up the legal battle to allow women's entry into the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali dargah. However, the trio give credit to the women who mustered up the courage to take their fight to the court.
Dhishan Kukreja, Raju Moray and Sagar Rane at the Press Club yesterday. Pics/Suresh Karkera
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It is only fitting that such a momentous battle for gender equality was fought by both men and women. Yesterday, it was three of these brave men that the city heard from at the Press Club near Azad Maidan, where activists were once again celebrating the Bombay High Court's landmark judgment that declared it a Constitutional right of women to have equal access to the inner sanctum of the Haji Ali dargah.
The judgment is due, in no small part, to lead counsel Raju Moray and his young team of advocates Sagar Rane and Dhishan Kukreja, who made this battle their own and fought it relentlessly for two years, pro bono. It was to them that the petitioners — Dr Noorjehan N and Zakia S, founders of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) – had gone with their petition.
Burning issue
The BMMA was supported in its high-profile battle by Haji Ali Sabke Liye forum, but there few others who wanted any part of it. "This subject elicited reactions like, 'Arre baap re'. Judges do take an oath or affirmation to dispense justice without fear or favour, but the Haji Ali issue was like a piece of burning coal, nobody wanted to touch it," recalled Moray.
Celebrations were on at the Press Club, where the city heard from the Men In Black who made this women's rights battle their own
So why did they do it? Dhishan shrugged nonchalantly when asked why he decided to take up this case. "Just one reason, naturally," he stated, looking bashful as the photographer told him to pose for a picture. "Not allowing women into the sanctum sanctorum was a gross violation of the constitutional right of equality. Everything rested on that." For Sagar, it was about, "living and breathing those rights and making them a reality so that they are not merely dead letters but put into practice."
"It was this case that inspired me to choose women and child rights as a subject. I am a part-time professor at the Government Law College in Churchgate. The students and I used to discuss this case in class. These were vibrant, stimulating discussions," he added.
When Moray took the mike, there was a ripple of cheer, adding to the upbeat atmosphere. "This is a historical verdict. People always ask me, why doesn't the court give more such judgments? To that I say, well, first of all, somebody must have the courage to take up such issues and bring them to the fore. It does prove though that truth and justice will win," he said.
Woman power
Moray had the ear of his listeners as he spoke about how the case came to be. "An intern working with my wife, who is a Family Court lawyer, once brought up the subject of Haji Ali in conversation. It intrigued me and, at the same time, I was filled with a sense that this injustice must be righted. The intern then brought BMMA's Noorjehan N to meet me. That is how the petition was filed," said Moray, as he doffed his hat to the spirit of woman power that made it happen.
"It is significant that the judgment has come when there is a woman, Manjula Chellur, in the Chief Justice's chair. I must add also that the 56-page judgment was pronounced and read out by the brilliant judge, Revati Mohite-Dere." Moray commended Sagar and Dhishan for their thorough research and submissions. "Somewhere along the way, this profession had lost its nobility. Yet today, I can say it is in very good hands," he said of the young men, who got a round of applause.
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