I felt immensely peaceful hearing the Supreme Court verdict on women's entry into the Sabarimala temple. Not because I am impatient to have a darshan. I might not go there at all. Nor do I believe that getting an entry into the Sabarimala temple would uplift the status of the women of this country, however hard they pray. Even gods are helpless in changing the Indian male mindset as they themselves are created of it. This verdict will effect no immediate change in our society, politics or religion other than increasing the income of the temple coffers. There will be more concrete buildings and roads coming up, depleting the forests, and that will be the only practical outcome. There will be more pollution to the air, water and the soil for sure. The bio-diversity will be damaged even more.
Still I am peaceful. Because this is a landmark judgement which upholds the spirit and wisdom of our Constitution. It supports our fundamental right to equality. It endorses the essence of secularism. It is not about the Hindu women or a section of feminists at all. It is about the citizens of this country, their rights against all forms of discrimination. This judgement is no magic wand which would help all the problems faced by women vanish in a flicker. The only magic it does is asserting her equality. Equality is the ultimate justice without which her personal condition won't change. Because justice is the greatest social capital which constitutes one's self esteem. So this is just another small step for the Indian woman but a giant leap for our democracy. And I do believe that there would be its repercussions in other religions as well.
Thus, those who are not ready to wait have a valid reason not to. They can take this verdict as an inevitable outcome of a series of struggles against discrimination at different levels of society. After the legalisation of same-sex relationships and quashing of Article 497, this is a natural and logical response to the changes happening all over the world.
There is of course a historical perspective too - as a much delayed national consequence of Vaikom and Guruvayur Satyagrahas. Those who are disappointed with the arguments some of the ‘educated’ and ‘empowered’ people are putting forward to criticise the verdict should go back to history chapters on Gandhiji’s discussions with the Brahmin lords like Indamthuruthil Devan Neelakandan Namputhiri who fiercely opposed lower castes' entry into temples. Many of the upper caste Hindus were terrified that if the lower caste people set foot in the temple premises the whole country would be ruined. It has been a century after that. So it is just that the Indian history repeats itself, first in caste level and then in the class level and last in the gender-level.
But of course, those who are ready to wait have a right to do so, too. Not because they claim they are the true believers and devotees of Lord Ayyappa, but they too have an undeniable space in this democracy. Some of them have openly argued that the floods were caused because of Lord Ayyappa's fury if not anxiety over women's entry into Sabarimala. They are worried that the age old customs and rituals which once changed would destroy an entire civilisation.
They ardently believe that the mortal women can challenge and destroy Lord Ayyappan's celibacy although the divine Mali kappurathamma is sitting close by him through the centuries. I think those ready to wait should see this verdict as a decree from Lord Ayyappan Himself, who, tired of the discrimination towards women for generations ordered the divine miracle through the apex court. The Lord must have been furious not of the women’s entry but of being reduced to the status of a vulnerable mortal male who caused the floods to send the message that if women cannot enter, men are also not welcome. How disgraceful it would be for a God to be subjected to such mean debates by mortals over his self-restraint and sense of justice so unabashedly?
So, the true believers and devotees may accept this court verdict in the true spirit of Advaita philosophy. Remember, the story in which the Chandala with four dogs, who was none other than Lord Siva (the father of Lord Ayyappa), asked Sankar-acharya, the proponent of Advaita, when the latter asked the former to “move away…move away”. The Chandala asked Sanka-racharya back: what is to be moved away, the body or the soul? What difference does it make by moving away my body which is made of the five elements from yours which is also of the five elements? What is the use of moving away my soul from yours when my soul and your soul are the same and one with the Pure Awareness ?
Those who ask the menstruating woman to move away from the temple premises should also clarify: what is there to be moved away, the body or the soul? Or the belief or the injustice? There might not be a reply, for women and religion are fatal weapons in our politics.
