Sabarimala: Constitution has been let down

These are far from memorable days in the history of the Sabarimala temple after the doors of the shrine opened for worship on Wednesday. The Supreme Court had passed a historic verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the temple on overturning a centuries-old ban on menstruating women praying at the hill shrine. Hindu hardliners opposed to the breaking of tradition, saw to it that not a single woman got anywhere close. The two women who got the closest to the Sannidhanam on Friday were also convinced into going away without attempting to enter the sanctum. The Kerala government had tried its best to carry out the top court order but was prevented by devotees and activists in the garb of devotees resisting women’s entry. The art of intimidation practised on the television media crew covering the stirring events seemed to suggest the kind of right wing political forces that were behind the operations.

The Constitution was not upheld. This is a country in which the people owe allegiance to the Constitution. Regardless of the faith we belong to, the ultimate authority is the Constitution under which the Supreme Court is one of the important guardians. If its verdict cannot be carried out, the fear will be engendered of mob rule being able to nix the law of the land. The Constitution has stood the test of time for over 70 years and served well the people of India. It is the Constitution which is under the greatest threat in this battle of faith versus law.

Gender justice was denied on the ground although the court had ruled that anyone could worship Lord Ayyappa at his most famous abode. Obscurantism is winning at the expense of an opportunity to set right a gender-based anomaly by which menstruating women are barred from ever entering the temple. Patriarchy has been masquerading as custom by referring to an old tradition of menstruating women not being allowed entry for fear of the ambience around a bachelor God being defiled. Science backs no such theory. Matters of faith may be different. It does, however, appear that it is politics at play in Kerala with the BJP-RSS and the Congress egging on the resistance because the faithful outnumber the atheists. Politics is the bane of India and the Sabarimala argument may become just another example of this. Isn’t it time the government, the Devaswom board and the political parties sat together to resolve the issue until the top court rules on revision petitions?