In a recent development in the Sabarimala case, an arrogant PWD minister and CPI-M leader G Sudhakaran made an atrocious remark that “At the temple town, it is the donkeys that do most of the work. Till date, they have not gone on any protest. After their hard work, they take rest near the Pamba river. These donkeys have more grace than the tantri.”
This is surely not the first instance, he has given such statements in past as well. The verbal attack started on Sabarimala Tantri family, ever since they announced the closure of the temple in case a woman aged of 10 to 50 years enters the temple post the Supreme Court verdict.
Sudhakaran said all this while addressing the public. In an inaugural speech at a cultural event in Alappuzha. He insulted the Tantris by saying that they don’t seem to have any attachment with Bhagwan Ayyappa.
Shilpa Nair, Kerala BJP State Committee Member replied to it in a tweet saying “After insulting Hindu Sanyasis by saying they don’t wear briefs & are exhibitionists, he has now insulted Sabarimala Temple High Priest by comparing him to a Donkey. Can he insult any other religion similarly & remain a minister?”
Is this minister for real?
After insulting Hindu Sanyasis by saying they dont wear briefs & r exhibitionists, he has now insulted Sabarimala Temple High Priest by comparing him to a Donkey.
Can he insult any other religion similarly & remain a minister?https://t.co/NK7yK3HgdY
— Shilpa Nair (@shilpamdas) December 2, 2018
Kerala Govt’s Take:
The Kerala government had opposed the entry of women in 2016, it told the SC during the hearing this year that it was in favor of allowing women to pray at the temple. Advocate Jaideep Gupta, representing the state government, said it would support the entry of women of all ages to the temple.
SC’s take:
The Apex Court bench headed by Justice Deepak Mishra said “What applies to a man applies to a woman as well” and that “Once you open it for the public, anyone can go”. The other members of the bench comprising Justice R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud, and Indu Malhotra made it clear that a woman’s right to pray is not dependent on any law but is a constitutional right.
Meanwhile, the woman devotee group in Kerala started the #Readytowait campaign against the petitioners. They argued that women of a certain age group were not allowed and they were willing to wait till 50 to enter the temple. They also argued that people are confusing diversity of Hinduism with discrimination.
On 2nd August the Supreme Court gave its verdict with a 4:1 majority, allowing the entry of women of all ages in the temple. But Sabarimala is a matter of faith, not discrimination. It is a temple of Bhagwan Ayyappa, who is a ‘Naishtika Brahmachari’ (eternal celibate).