The Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association strongly condemned the “disgraceful” Holi Milan event by the Kanpur Bar Association, alleging women were objectified as lawyers filmed belly dancers under the guise of festive celebration.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association has voiced its strong outrage and complete disapproval of the “disgraceful” Holi Milan program organized by the Kanpur Bar Association. The event featured belly dancers, and lawyers were observed “filming, objectifying, and commodifying women under the guise of celebration and entertainment.”
In a press release issued on March 1, 2026, the Association stated,
“This incident is shameful, reprehensible, and utterly disgraceful, striking at the very foundation of professional ethics, constitutional morality, and human dignity. The legal profession, which is entrusted with the sacred duty of upholding justice, equality, and dignity, cannot and must not degenerate into a platform for misogyny, voyeurism, and objectification of women.”
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The Association characterized the behavior displayed at the event as serious professional misconduct, egregious moral depravity, and significant ethical violations, which warrant immediate disciplinary action.
The association, led by Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani stated ,
“Such events create a hostile, unsafe, humiliating, and deeply uncomfortable professional environment, particularly for women lawyers, interns, staff, and litigants. It normalizes sexual objectification, legitimizes harassment, and institutionalizes gender-insensitive behavior within spaces that must remain neutral, respectful, and dignified. The act of recording such performances and circulating them further exacerbates the violation of women’s dignity, autonomy, and privacy, amounting to systematic exploitation masked as entertainment,”
The group emphasized that court premises and professional environments are not venues for vulgarity or exploitation, and any attempt to trivialize such actions as festive celebration is deeply insulting to women, destructive to workplace dignity, and harmful to the integrity of the legal profession.
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The press release further noted,
“The Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association will not remain a silent spectator to such degradation of professional values and reserves its right to pursue all legal, disciplinary, and institutional remedies available. The dignity of women is inviolable. Professional misconduct will not be tolerated. Accountability will be enforced,”
Consequently, the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association has firmly demanded the following:
- An immediate public apology from the Kanpur Bar Association.
- Strict disciplinary action against office bearers and members responsible for organizing and endorsing this event.
- Intervention by the Bar Council of India and the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council, followed by swift punitive measures.
- Development and enforcement of mandatory gender sensitization guidelines governing all Bar Association functions nationwide.
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