Finally it happened. Age old discriminatory practice of women being prohibited from entering the core area of Shani temple in Maharashtra in India ended today as activists were allowed to offer worship close to the deity.
Bhumata Brigade chief Trupti Desai offering prayer at the Shani Shingnapur temple after the gates were opened for women, in Ahmednagar on Friday, April 8, 2016. (PTI)
It seems the patriarchal Indian society is not yet ready to allow women to worship Lord Shani by entering the temple premises. A group of villagers including women physically prevented the activists from entering the temple.
A day after the Bombay High Court ruled that it is the fundamental right of women to go to all places of worship, around 25 women activists led by Trupti Desai today entered the premises of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra, but were stopped by locals from offering prayers at the inner sanctum.
As the standoff escalated, the police took away Ms Desai and other protesters away from the temple premises.
Members of Bhumata Ranragini Brigade led by Ms Desai alleged that women villagers pushed them and tried to block their way as they tried to enter the inner sanctum of the temple, which according to tradition is forbidden for women.
Activist Desai, who had pledged to pray at the famous temple in the state’s Ahmednagar district, said: “We are not going to turn around we have the court order and if need be we will file an FIR (first information report) against the home minister and chief minister.”
“What is the police doing? They were directed to provide protection to us by the court,” Ms Desai said questioning the state government.
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It is the fundamental right of a woman and the government should protect it.
Lofty words from a court in India. The court was disposing off a petition challenging the barring of entry of women in to sanctum sanctorum of a temple for the god Shani ( Lord Saturn ).
Similar struggles by women wanting to enter religious shrines which traditionally barred their entry is taking place in many parts of the country. Overall the courts were seen taking a progressive non discriminatory view on this issue.