CHENNAI: After the Supreme Court ruled that women should also be allowed to enter the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, Chennaiites share their thoughts on the verdict and if the law can impose itself on the workings of religion.
Kavitha Vishnu Vardhini, 27
The verdict has hit hard on the religious sentiment of the majority but they have to accept the fact that the SC has given us a choice which was denied to us all these years. I don’t understand all those impurities discussions of women by women; you have been given a choice and you are 100 per cent free to go for it or to stay back, you are not compelled here.
Arjun C, 23
I think the 21st century is about freedom and if a woman wishes then she must have the right to prayer at a particular place, even though I personally won’t encourage them to go there, as I am an atheist. It’s up to them and no one else should have a say in it. On the other side, this ruling is giving mileage to right-wing elements in Kerala.
John Lavanya, 22
In the past, women did not have any hygienic sanitary disposal, and the scent of a woman’s menstrual blood would attract tigers as they walked through the forest. It was a valid reason to ban women. However, now we have better sanitary care to take care of such problems. Religion and law are all man-made, at the end of the day.
Padmapriya Baskaran, 48
We are looking at two different aspects here. The law states that no one can be restricted from entering a temple on the basis of gender or caste, or in this case reproductive status. Beliefs, on the other hand, are personal. Even today there are several women, who restrict themselves from entering pooja rooms or temples during their menstrual cycle. This is their individual belief and the religion or law does not govern it. The same applies here, too. If someone is not comfortable going, they don’t. And if someone is happy to go, they do. Religion or belief in the higher power is personal. God is far beyond getting polluted by biological processes.
Abhirami S Anand, 21
Sabarimala is a part of Hindu beliefs and traditions. It may or may not be taken as just a fable but it has been being followed for centuries by natives. This is not the right platform to showcase feminism. The Supreme Court has no doubt struck a heavy blow in the fight for women’s rights and liberation, but I believe that this is a disrespect to the beliefs. I would wait till I’m 50, follow the old custom rather than accepting the verdict. Is the Supreme Court looking in the right direction?
Anjali Ajith Shirly, 27
Are men fighting to be part of Atukkal Pongala where the female believers of the goddess prepare the divine food and offer it to the goddess of the temple? Sabrimala is just a belief and has nothing to do with gender bias. Instead of focussing on breaking the traditions we must give more importance to safety concerns of women.
Inputs: KV Navya, Rochana Mohan, Roshne Balasubramanian and Vaishali Vijaykumar