“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” ― Maya Angelou
The election is over, and I accept the verdict with grace. But I refuse to allow an electoral outcome to define the worth of a candidature, the value of a lifetime of work, or the principles with which I have chosen to live my professional life.
I entered this election with my head held high, and I leave it with my head held even higher. I have no bitterness, no regret and certainly no shame in the manner in which I chose to contest. An election can determine an office, but it cannot determine a person's worth, contribution or character.
I am proud that I did not stoop to tactics that were inconsistent with my values. I did not attempt to buy trust, bargain for votes, offer inducements or compromise my principles for an electoral advantage. I did not have the backing of political lobbies, retired judges rooting for me or the former Bar President holding my hand and canvassing for me with other famous and distinguished Senior Advocates from the Old Boys Club.
I chose to stand on my Merit, my Experience, my proven track record and my conviction. I know that in an election there can be many ways of securing numbers, but there are some things that cannot be measured in numbers: Integrity, Self-Respect, Dignity and the ability to look back at one's journey without regret. If preserving these values came at a cost, I accept that cost with pride. I would rather lose an election standing firmly on my principles than win one by compromising them.
I have spent more than three decades in this profession building a reputation I value far more than any single electoral result, and I will not exchange that reputation for an election. My professional journey has itself been a journey of breaking barriers.
Eleven years ago, on 23rd April 2015, I became the first woman from Karnataka and the sixth woman in the country to be designated Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court of India. Had I not believed in myself notwithstanding the fact that I was not having any panel, public sector undertakings or Banks nor an advocate on record for any state, I gathered the courage as I fulfilled the criteria and applied for Senior Designation, and thus created History! I tried and never worried about the outcome. I would have regretted had I not tried. My decision to begin, opened the door to many other young efficient women to apply for designation and it was My Designation that gave them the courage. I have since had the privilege of serving the profession in several capacities, including as an Honorary Professor at two universities, as the First Elected member of the Supreme Court's Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee defeating Ms. Indira Jaisingh, Senior Advocate in the election held on March 27th 2015.
Am a member of committees and forums dealing with the rights, safety and welfare of women and the larger legal fraternity. I have contested and participated in institutional processes where women's representation was itself an issue, and I have continued to put myself forward where I believed that the voice of women and the larger interests of the Bar needed to be represented. I was nominated last year by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India to be part of the 3-member Election committee and where for the 1st time we banned the entry of mobiles and conducted the election in a peaceful manner from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. These were never titles for me. They were responsibilities.
The Supreme Court's own records confirm my nomination to its GSICC, and in 2026 I was appointed as a member of an Election Tribunal constituted under the Bar Council of India's election process. My work has never been confined to seeking positions for myself. I have appeared before courts on issues concerning the welfare of women, children and the public at large, and have consistently chosen matters where I believed there was a larger public or institutional interest at stake. I have served on several POSH and gender-sensitisation bodies, including the Supreme Court's GSICC, and as President of the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association have continued to raise issues concerning the safety and dignity of women and children. Advocated for chemical castration and death penalty for child rapists in 2016 and on direction of the hon’ble court the parliament accepted the suggestion on death penalty and amended the POCSO Act in 2018
I have also tried to take the law beyond the courtroom and make it accessible to ordinary people through my books, Women Laws: From the Womb to the Tomb and Domestic Violence Against Women - Beyond the Bruise:
I have never believed that the contribution of a lawyer should be measured only by the number of appearances or positions held. A lawyer's true contribution lies in what he/she is willing to stand for when there is nothing personal to gain.
I was the Sole woman among Eight Candidates contesting on an unreserved position. I did not ask anyone to vote for me merely because I am a woman. I asked to be judged on merit, experience and the work I have consistently done for the Bar and the wider public. The fact that the SCBA has never had a woman President is not, to me, a reason for entitlement; it is a reason to ask whether we are truly ready to judge leadership without the lens of gender.
“Each time a Woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all Women” - Maya Angelou
There were approximately 550 women voters, with around 300 turning out to vote. I leave one question, not as an accusation but as a reflection: if women themselves are not prepared to see another woman lead an open, unreserved institution purely on merit, how do we expect the next generation of women lawyers to believe that there are no ceilings above them? The Ceiling is no longer Glass but made of Cement, difficult to penetrate because Patriarchy Prevails! Hypocrisy is the norm and Sycophancy the language.
A woman's success should never be perceived as another woman's loss. We should be able to celebrate each other's possibilities without feeling diminished by them. I have always believed that women must become each other's force, not each other's limitation.
I did not contest this election merely for a position. I contested because I wanted to send a message to the younger generation of lawyers, particularly young women: you do not have to inherit a place at the table; you can earn it.
You do not have to wait for a position to be reserved for you; you can compete for an open one. And you do not have to compromise who you are in order to reach where you want to go.
I wanted a young woman entering the Supreme Court today to see that someone like her could stand for the highest elected office of this Bar, without apology, without fear and without having to dilute her principles. If my candidature has made even one young lawyer believe that she can stand, compete and lead on merit, then I consider that a meaningful outcome.
I remain deeply grateful to every colleague, friend and member of the younger generation who stood beside me. I know that many supported me not because it was convenient, but because they believed in what I represented. To them, I say that this was never simply about one election. It was about placing an idea before the institution: that the Bar must continue to aspire towards meritocracy, inclusivity, integrity and principled leadership.
I have spent years selflessly writing representations, raising issues before successive authorities, speaking for the larger interests of the Bar and appearing in matters concerning the welfare of people and the public at large. I have done so even when speaking up was unpopular and even when the benefit of the representation would ultimately be enjoyed by people who were not necessarily the ones standing beside me and those who have never briefed me.
That is the nature of public service: you speak because it is right, not because applause is guaranteed.
So, I do not walk away defeated.
So, I do not walk away defeated.
I walk away proud.
Proud that I stood.
Proud that I contested.
Proud that I did not compromise.
Proud that I did not allow an electoral contest to make me smaller than the values I have spent a lifetime defending.
Proud that I remained true to the principles of dignity, integrity and honesty.
And proud that, regardless of the result, I had the courage to put a question before my institution and before my fraternity.
I have been a first in several spaces not because I sought the label of being a "first", but because I was willing to enter spaces where women had not yet been seen.
If this was not the moment when the SCBA chose its first woman President, I hope it was at least the moment when the question became impossible to ignore. Some victories are counted in votes. Others are measured by the values one refuses to surrender. My principles remain unchanged. My voice remains strong. My commitment to the profession remains unwavering. I will continue to work, continue to represent, continue to speak and continue to stand for the dignity of this profession.
I entered this election with nothing to hide and nothing to buy. I leave it with nothing to regret. And perhaps that is its own kind of Victory.
The Bitter Reality is there is no place for an Honest, Frank, and a Bold Woman!
NO REGRETS, ONLY LESSONS LEARNED !
[Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of LawStreet Journal].
