Royal women seek equality

The women members of the Cochin royal family moved the Kerala high court seeking to end gender discrimination in the Palace Administration Board constituted to manage the affairs of 1000-odd royal family members. They have sought to include women as trustees of the board.

Ten royal family members, including Kocha-mmani Thampuran, 84, and Ganga Devi Thampuran, former principal of Maharaja’s College, moved the court seeking to set aside a royal proclamation which mandates that only men should be nominated to the board. The proclamation said, “the board shall consist of five trustees who shall be nominated from the male members of the family so as to secure representation as far as possible for each of the four main thaivazhis of the family.”

The petitioners argued the Maharaja of Cochin had promulgated a royal proclamation for the administration, management and conservation of the properties on June 29, 1949. The provision violates Articles 14, 15, 16 and 19 of the Constitution of India and hence required to be declared as void, the petition said.