BENGALURU: The controversy over women’s entry to Sabarimala temple has attracted both national and international attention, especially due to the protests in the past few days. Devotees of the temple, reflecting on the developments over the past week, are united on their condemnation of violent protests while disputing the decision to allow women inside the temple. However, activists have taken a dig at political parties alleging that they were fanning the flames ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to reap electoral dividends.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Shivakumar L, an IT employee from Bengaluru who has visited the temple more than ten times said the issue arose after women were allowed into the temple. “The rituals involved ahead of the pilgrimage to Sabarimala is very conservative in nature. For instance, one who vows to visit the temple is not even allowed to enter a house if a menstruating woman is present during his fasting period,” he said.
Although he felt that the decision by the Supreme Court was not correct, he said that the decision was right if we consider gender equality. “It is also necessary that the decision of the court be upheld and violence is not the answer,” he said, adding that the issue was now being politicised.
Purandara Shetty, another devotee from Bengaluru disagreeing with the court decision alleged that such rulings by court reflected a systematic attack on the religious practices of Hindus. “By allowing women to enter the temple, the court and the Supreme Court are hurting the sentiments of the faithful. Every temple have unique rituals associated with them which have to be respected and followed,” he added.
KS Vimala of Janawadi Mahila Sangatane said the issue was being stretched to reap ‘political mileage from strife’. Taking a dig at BJP and ‘double standards of Congress’, she said that both the parties were fishing in troubled waters. “The issue is not about gender equality or preserving the temple’s traditions anymore. The whole issue is about Lok Sabha elections next year,” she said. To a question, she said that such outrage would have been absent if Supreme Court had taken such a decision after the polls in 2019.