Giving its opinion in favour of gender equality, the Bombay high court on Wednesday observed that no law prevents women from entering any place.
Giving its opinion in favour of gender equality, the Bombay high court on Wednesday observed that no law prevents women from entering any place. If men are allowed in a place of worship, then women should also be permitted.
Underlining the need for giving equal access to women, the high court stated that any temple or person imposing such restrictions can face a six-month jail term under a Maharashtra law and asked the government to make a statement if it is worried about the sanctity of a deity.
The observations were made by a division bench comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice M.S. Sonak during the hearing of a PIL by senior advocate Nilima Vartak and activist Vidya Bal challenging the bar on women entering the sanctum sanctorum of Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.
Women from Bhumata Brigade made efforts to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Shani temple but were prevented by the police. Also, the state government was reluctant to intervene in the matter.
The court also said the government should give wide publicity to the act and issue circulars informing the general public about the act and its provisions.The court directed government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani to take instructions and make a statement on April 1 on whether or not it will ensure that women will be allowed to enter the temple.
The petition seeks the entry of women not just into the temple but also inside its sanctum sanctorum. The petition says that the prohibition is arbitrary, illegal and in violation of fundamental rights of citizens. The debate over the issue in Maharashtra escalated after a woman last year tried to enter and offer prayers at the Shani Shingnapur temple, in “breach” of the age-old practice of prohibiting entry of women.
This had prompted the temple committee to suspend seven security men and the villagers to form purification rituals.
Subsequently, the Bhumata Brigade, led by activist Trupti Desai, had — on January 26 — launched a high-voltage campaign to defy the ban at the temple and vowed to carry on with its movement for gender justice.
Keeping up the campaign against gender bias at various places of worship, around 150 women under the banner of Bhumata Brigade had earlier this month left for the famous
Trimbakeshwar temple, which is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, in Nashik district seeking to break the bar on female devotees entering the inner sanctum of the temple to Lord Shiva. Their attempts were foiled by the police.
