'Sabarimala will become a sex-tourism spot if women are allowed'
The Sabarimala Temple board chief has major problems with women being allowed inside. He seems to have pretty strong reasons: if women enter, the temple will turn into a "sex tourism spot like Thailand", he believes. Even if court allows, "I don't think self-respecting women will dare enter", says Travancore Dewasom Board (TDB) president Prayar Gopalakrishnan. Here's what triggered the comments from the chief.
Why the ban on women at Sabarimala?
Menstruation is a taboo in India, and traditionally, many Hindu temples prevent menstruating women from entering the temple premises. However, at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala, all women aged 10-50 are banned from entering. Some say women are banned as they are considered 'unclean' during menstruation, while scholars say that it is because Ayyappa, to whom the temple is dedicated, was celibate.
A petition challenges the age-old tradition
The Indian Young Lawyers' Association filed a petition in the SC challenging the ban on entry of women in the Sabarimala temple. The petition argued that the ban, enforced by Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorization of Entry) Rules, 1965, was unconstitutional insofar as it violated Articles 14 (equality before law), 25 and 26 (freedom of religion).
The apex court has questioned the legality of the practice
The SC questioned the legality of the practice many times during the several hearings on the case. It sent notices to the involved parties including the Kerala government, the chief priest of the Sabarimala Temple, the district magistrate, the Devaswom commissioner and the TDB. It has now referred the case to a Constitutional bench, which will decide if the current ban violates fundamental rights.
Even the Kerala government underwent a change of heart
The Kerala government, which earlier defended the ban, also made a U-turn: on July 11, 2016, it filed an affidavit in support of the ban. They very next day, it said it would submit a fresh affidavit batting for women's entry.
But the TDB chief knows what he wants
Gopalakrishnan has been consistent in his views. Right after becoming TDB president in November'15, he said the topic will only arise after a machine had been invented which could scan their "purity" - non-menstruation phase. Now he claims no "self-respecting" woman from a "decent" family would enter anyway. They can't ensure security when resultant "immoral activities" take place, he said.
So what's next in the case?
The Constitution bench has to answer five questions, including "whether the practice, which is based upon a female-exclusive biological factor, amounts to discrimination". It'll also examine if women's entry is an "essential religious practice" under Article 25, and if a "religious institution can assert such a claim under the right to manage its own affairs". The SC will decide on the matter then.
