The Supreme Court today slammed a make-up artists association for not enrolling women despite its order observing whether the body feels it "rules some kind of empire and would not allow anyone to enter".
A bench of justices Dipak Misra and P C Pant pulled up the Cine Costume Make-Up Artist & Hair Dressers Association for not granting membership to outsiders by "adopting one excuse or the other".
"We are constrained to repeat at the cost of repetition that the Cine Costume Make-Up Artist & Hair Dressers Association is bent upon not granting the membership adopting one excuse or the other.
"Possibly they feel that they rule some kind of empire and they would not allow anyone to enter. This kind of obstinacy speaks eloquently about the attitude and we do not appreciate the said attitude of the office bearers of the Association and we are sure that wisdom will dawn on them and they will extend the benefit of membership to the petitioners within a week hence," the bench said.
The apex court cautioned the body saying, "it was harbouring a feeling that they intend to overreach the court which is inconceivable in law, and not appreciated."
The court last November put an end to a 59-year-old practice in Bollywood that puts restrictions on them from pursuing the profession in the film industry, saying such "shocking" discrimination on the basis of gender is violative of constitutional values.
Holding that harassment of women in the 21st century is "inconceivable and impermissible", the apex court had struck down the provision putting restriction on women make-up artists and hair dressers in the film industry.
It had also held as unconstitutional a provision that makes it mandatory to have a five-year domicile of Maharashtra for becoming a registered make-up artist and hair-dresser in Bollywood.
It had said that there is no "rationality' in such kind of discrimination and directed the Cine Costume and Make-up Artist Association (Mumbai) to delete the provisions within 10 days.
