SC throws open Sabarimala to all women

In a verdict which only strengthens the concept of 'gender equality', the Supreme Court today lifted the ban on the entry of women in Sabarimala temple. The court further stated that biological reasons should not be considered for the continuation of an age-old tradition.Reading out a majority 4:1 verdict on Friday CJI Dipak Misra said women were equally entitled to worship and that the rule which prevented the entry of women of the 10 to 50 age group went against the right to worship of Hindu women and the right to equality.The court said it could not allow patriarchy to overwhelm religion as it would be violative of the right of worship of women.The CJI, and Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud concurred with the view while Justice Indu Malhotra read out a dissenting verdict.In its August 1 observation, the Supreme Court laid down that The presiding deity of Kerala’s, Lord Ayyappa, is a perpetual minor and has rights including the right to privacy with regard to certain rites observed at the shrine.In its preliminary observations in the court, the bench had frowned upon the practice as violative of Article 14 (Right to Equality) and Article 25 (Right to Worship) for women.A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra had reserved its judgement on a bunch of petitions that challenge the ban on entry of women on August 1 after hearing the case for eight days.Senior advocate K. Parasaran, for the Nair Service Society, had countered the apex court’s observations about patriarchy, saying the prohibition was not based on misogyny but the celibate nature of the deity.The Kerala government, which has been changing its stand on the contentious issue of women of the menstrual age group entering the Sabarimala temple, had on July 18 told the Supreme Court that it now favoured their entry.(With Agency Inputs)

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/2xVdJ2e