Kerala wants entry for women of all ages in Sabarimala

NEW DELHI: Days after the Haji Ali Dargah authorities decided to treat women devotees on a par with men, Kerala’s Left Front government told a Supreme Court bench, led by Justice Dipak Misra, on Monday that it was in favour of women of all age groups being allowed into the Sabarimala temple.

In the fourth such flip-flop on the issue, the state government has distanced itself from the temple trust policy of disallowing women in the productive age group into the Ayappa temple. The trust authorities have been maintaining that “the selective ban” is necessary because the temple deity is a bachelor.

The bench, comprising among others justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan, had earlier posed some tough questions to the LDF government which had in 2007 supported their entry only to backtrack after it returned to power earlier this year.

SC had hinted that it would examine all constitutional dimensions, including the issue of whether public places, such as temples, could violate the right to equality guaranteed to all citizens under the guise of exercising their right to religion.

The bench had also tagged the issue along with that of the Haji Ali Trust issue to justify its stand that it was an issue involving gender inequality and their right to worship.

Haji Ali Trust was the first to succumb to court pressure, agreeing to treat women on a par with men. It would be interesting to watch if the temple authorities would not be willing to plough a lonely furrow without state support. The court did not take kindly to the frequent changing of stance by the state government, insisting that it would examine whether it can do so. Kerala was represented by senior advocate Jaideep Gupta.

The state plea to change its position was resisted by the temple through senior advocate KK Venugopal. The case will now be taken up on February 20.