It's evident from the protests, staged over the last week, in various parts of Kerala and even in other states that the Supreme Court judgement clearing women's entry into the shrine has met with extreme sentiments. What makes it all the more intriguing is that the women are in the forefront of all these agitations.
When the proceedings in the court had got underway, the Malayalee woman was clear that come what may, she was not interested in entering the shrine going against the spirit of the restrictions regarding their entry that has been in force for centuries. In the wake of the judgement, I've had the opportunity to interact with a number of women and a sizeable majority among them are of the opinion that the period of menstruation is considered by them as being 'impure'!
It's probably because of the fact that this thought has been handed over across generations and they have held this aspect close in their value system. In the joint families that people of my generation were fortunate to have been nurtured in, we'd grown up to the practice of seeing menstruating women take an early bath, keep away from the kitchen and of course, went nowhere near the puja room and generally stayed secluded in the huge 'tharavadu', within the imposing 'naalukettu'.
It's this belief that has been knocked off its bottom with the judgement refusing to accept the fact that a woman is impure during menstruation. Come to think of it, she's only going through a physiological activity that's dictated by nature and hence, why should she be impure? The only dissenting judge, ironically, a lady - Indu Malhotra - had sought to let religious sentiments be what they are and had said that they should be kept away from a Constitutional outlook/analysis!
The communists, being atheists, were quick to get of the starter block and Kerala's chief minister made an all too pompous statement that his government would go about implementing the court order at the earliest. The resultant spate of protests - notwithstanding the politics in them - must have surprised him and his government that the CPM had to perforce make a statement that the implementation would only be carried after discussions with all the stakeholders. The party must have suddenly realised that their opponents - the Congress and the BJP - were gaining political mileage and that it could affect their vote bank in the run up to the forthcoming general elections!
Are the sentiments against the Supreme Court judgement snowballing?
Tailpiece.
A related comedy show. One feels rather amused to see Rahul Gandhi, Robert Vadra (Of all the guys) etc visiting temples at an alarming spree. Do they feel that by doing so they would be able make an impression among the common man that they are diehard Hindus? Come on, take a walk and do tell him what your aspirations are for the country that's totally different from that of Narendra Modi. By trying to be a 'new-born-Hindu' how do you justify your minority appeasement? Your vote bank mentality is coming home to roost, at last!
PS.
Lekha's sister and family had come by about 5, in the evening. After a quick, late lunch they'd gone off to Palakkad to invite my sister and family for the wedding and returned by about 11. It was a boisterous and late evening!
When the proceedings in the court had got underway, the Malayalee woman was clear that come what may, she was not interested in entering the shrine going against the spirit of the restrictions regarding their entry that has been in force for centuries. In the wake of the judgement, I've had the opportunity to interact with a number of women and a sizeable majority among them are of the opinion that the period of menstruation is considered by them as being 'impure'!
It's probably because of the fact that this thought has been handed over across generations and they have held this aspect close in their value system. In the joint families that people of my generation were fortunate to have been nurtured in, we'd grown up to the practice of seeing menstruating women take an early bath, keep away from the kitchen and of course, went nowhere near the puja room and generally stayed secluded in the huge 'tharavadu', within the imposing 'naalukettu'.
It's this belief that has been knocked off its bottom with the judgement refusing to accept the fact that a woman is impure during menstruation. Come to think of it, she's only going through a physiological activity that's dictated by nature and hence, why should she be impure? The only dissenting judge, ironically, a lady - Indu Malhotra - had sought to let religious sentiments be what they are and had said that they should be kept away from a Constitutional outlook/analysis!
The communists, being atheists, were quick to get of the starter block and Kerala's chief minister made an all too pompous statement that his government would go about implementing the court order at the earliest. The resultant spate of protests - notwithstanding the politics in them - must have surprised him and his government that the CPM had to perforce make a statement that the implementation would only be carried after discussions with all the stakeholders. The party must have suddenly realised that their opponents - the Congress and the BJP - were gaining political mileage and that it could affect their vote bank in the run up to the forthcoming general elections!
Are the sentiments against the Supreme Court judgement snowballing?
Tailpiece.
A related comedy show. One feels rather amused to see Rahul Gandhi, Robert Vadra (Of all the guys) etc visiting temples at an alarming spree. Do they feel that by doing so they would be able make an impression among the common man that they are diehard Hindus? Come on, take a walk and do tell him what your aspirations are for the country that's totally different from that of Narendra Modi. By trying to be a 'new-born-Hindu' how do you justify your minority appeasement? Your vote bank mentality is coming home to roost, at last!
PS.
Lekha's sister and family had come by about 5, in the evening. After a quick, late lunch they'd gone off to Palakkad to invite my sister and family for the wedding and returned by about 11. It was a boisterous and late evening!
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