The Supreme Court of India recently addressed the persistent issue of gender discrimination against elected women representatives in rural areas, particularly at the Panchayat level. In a significant ruling, the Court expressed strong concern over treating female Sarpanches (village heads). It condemned the collusion between Panchayat members and administrative authorities, who aimed to remove them from office due to personal vendettas. The case, Sonam Lakra v. State of Chhattisgarh and ors, shed light on the systemic bias and mistreatment that female elected representatives endure during their duties.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, while hearing the case, referred to previous instances where the Court had highlighted the unfair treatment faced by female Sarpanches. The Court observed that these discriminatory practices were often normalized, particularly in rural and remote regions, where the removal of elected female leaders was treated with casual indifference. In particular, the ouster of Sonam Lakra, the elected Sarpanch of Sajbahar Gram Panchayat, raised alarms about the deep-rooted prejudice and the systemic barriers women face in holding public office.
The Court stated, “Such instances highlight a systemic issue of prejudice and discrimination. Alarmingly, removing an elected female representative, especially in rural and remote areas, is frequently treated as a casual matter, wherein disregarding principles of natural justice and democratic processes is treated as a time-honored tradition. This entrenched bias is particularly disheartening and demands serious introspection and reform.”
Justice Surya Kant further emphasized the importance of addressing these issues in a country aiming to be a global economic power. “It is distressing to witness such incidents occurring consistently and being normalized, so much so that they bear striking similarities even in geographically distant regions. As custodians of power, administrative authorities should lead by example, promoting women’s empowerment and supporting female-led initiatives in rural and remote areas. Instead of adopting regressive attitudes that discourage women in elected positions, they must foster an environment that encourages their participation and leadership in governance,” he said.
The case itself involved Sonam Lakra, a 27-year-old woman who had been elected as the Sarpanch of Sajbahar Gram Panchayat. The Panchayat was assigned several major development projects, including ten road construction works. However, when delays occurred in completing the construction work, Lakra was singled out for blame, and in January 2024, she was removed from her position. Despite her removal, the responsibility for overseeing the projects was shared by various Panchayat members, raising questions about the fairness and transparency of the decision.
After her removal, Lakra challenged the decision in the High Court, but when the Court refused to grant her relief, she moved to the Supreme Court. On November 14, the Supreme Court ruled in her favor, ordering her reinstatement as Sarpanch and awarding her ₹1 lakh in compensation for the harassment she had endured. The Court concluded that the proceedings against her were based on weak and unsubstantiated grounds, designed to remove her from office unfairly. The ruling highlighted that her ouster resulted from selective targeting, as the delays in the development projects were not solely attributable to her.
“We are convinced that these proceedings (against the woman Sarpanch) were initiated on flimsy pretexts to remove the appellant from office under false and untenable grounds,” the Court remarked.
The judgment also criticized administrative authorities’ tendency to treat elected representatives, especially women, subordinate to bureaucrats. The Court strongly condemned the practice of undermining elected officials’ autonomy in favor of unelected officials, noting that it disregarded the democratic legitimacy of the electoral process. The Court warned that such attitudes are detrimental to the very foundation of democratic governance, where elected representatives should have the authority to make decisions without undue interference from bureaucratic powers.
“This misconceived and self-styled supervisory power is asserted to equate elected representatives with public servants holding civil posts, disregarding the democratic legitimacy conferred by election,” the Court lamented.
The ruling also strongly communicated the larger systemic issue of gender bias in governance. The Court noted that while the removal of female Sarpanches is often treated lightly, the same problems faced by their male counterparts are given more serious consideration. This reflects an ingrained gender bias that not only undermines the authority of women in leadership roles but also discourages other women from seeking public office.
The legal team representing Sonam Lakra included Advocates Manish Kumar Gupta, Lave Kumar Sharma, and Sharadprakash Pandey. Deputy Advocate General Vikrant Singh Bais represented the State of Chhattisgarh, along with Advocates Vinayak Sharma, Ravinder Kumar Yadav, Kshitiz Aggarwal, and Kritika Yadav.
This ruling marks an important step toward addressing women’s gender-based obstacles in local governance, particularly in rural areas. It calls for a much-needed overhaul of attitudes within administrative bodies and Panchayats to foster greater equality and empower women in leadership positions.
