How Can The SC Use The Word Keep In 21st Century: Govt

She has expressed her desire to move an application to obliterate the word 'keep' from the judgement passed yesterday by justices Markandey Katju and TS Thakur. 

 

Ms Indira has urged the court to desist from using gender biased words. She said, “How can the Supreme Court of India use the word 'keep' in the 21st century. I object to the use of word 'keep' and 'one night stance' in Supreme Court judgement. These words should be expunged from the judgement. These words are very insensitive. The expressions are very derogatory and reflect badly on women. Language should reflect our commitment to gender equality. It's a moral judgement and don't think Supreme Court should be using these words."

 

In an important judgement on live-in relationships, the SC yesterday held that a woman in a live-in relationship must fulfill certain parameters in order to receive benefits of alimony. The SC pronounced, “If a man has a 'keep' whom he maintains financially and uses mainly for sexual purpose and or as a servant, it would not in our opinion be a relationship in the nature of marriage." The SC added that merely spending a weekend or one-night stands should not qualify a woman in a ‘domestic relationship’.  

 

The Additional Solicitor General was upset and even threatened to dissociate from the apex court. Justice Katju, who headed the bench, intervened and asked Indira if the expression 'concubine' would have been more apt than the word 'keep'. 

 

Since yesterday, the SC court judgement on live-in relationships has spurred debates and argumentative discussions on many social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.