Rare milestone:Advocates’ literary group gears up for 150th year fete

It is one of the oldest such bodies in Bengaluru and is self-funded

The Bangalore Advocate’s Literary Union will enter it’s 150th year in 2023. With over 6,000 members, the union meets every 15-20 days to participate in cultural and literary events, spanning dance and music to theatre and books.

Next month, when most advocates return from vacation, the union will organise a tribute for late actor Puneeth Rajkumar. “It will be a dance and music event in memory of our beloved Puneeth,” the union’s general secretary M M Prashantha tells Metrolife. “Such events are an opportunity for the advocates to let go of the burden of their job and relax,” he adds.

He believes it is important for advocates to engage in activities outside the courtroom. “Especially since the pandemic, there has been a lot of stress pent up in each and every one of us. Which is why we have decided to help fellow advocates engage in a bit of fun,” he says.

Prashanth proudly informs that their union is one of the oldest in the city and is functioning without any government aid. All their events are self-funded by the members of the union, he informs.

Over the years, the union has been headed by various advocates and judges. “From the likes of Supreme Court and High Court judges to some of India’s most well-known advocates such as retired Supreme Court judge V Gopala Gowda and Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice of Gujarat, we have had a long list of noteworthy alumni,” he says.

Advocates turn authors

The Bangalore Advocate’s Literary Union runs a library at Vakilara Bhavana, City Civil Court Compound and stocks about 5,000 books. “The library is well-stocked with all kinds of reading material, newspapers and magazines and is visited by advocates throughout the day,” says general secretary M M Prashantha.

Additionally, the union has been helping out members in their literary endeavours. “Many of our members are good writers and have a great affinity for both classic and modern literature. So we are trying our best to help them get published in any genre they want, be it poetry, prose or even law-related books,” he adds.

Two of the recent books by their members are, ‘Mounada Mathugalu’ by senior advocate C Prakash and ‘Good Morning 305’ by Justice Shivaraj V Patil. The union plans to bring out a special magazine to commemorate its 150th anniversary celeberations next year.