If you want to understand how to become better allies to people with disabilities, then join us at Embracing All Abilities: Including People with Disabilities at Work.
The Supreme Court in today’s verdict on the Sabarimala temple case has declared that women of all age groups must be allowed to the temple without any restrictions.
Traditionally, the famous Sabarimala temple located in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, on a hilltop in the Western Ghats doesn’t allow women aged between 10 and 50 into the temple – with the reason assigned being that the deity there, Lord Ayyappa, is celibate.
The case over banning women’s entry into the temple has been going on for a while in the lower courts and until now, the verdict has not been in favour of granting entry to women. So, a petition was filed by the Indian Young Lawyers Association in the Supreme Court against the ban in 2016, as it is outright discrimination against women and in principle, a threat to their fundamental right to worship.
For a long time now, many women have argued that menstruating women are not impure in any way, and banning women from worshipping at a temple of their choice is discrimination. As a young woman Keertana explains in her article on Women’s Web, “I have deep respect for my culture and traditions. I have been to the Sabarimala temple four times, and I grew up listening to the stories of Ayyappa – of his heroism, his humility and his unconditional acceptance of people despite their differences. I remember waiting for months before making the incredible pilgrimage to Sabarimala and enjoying the feel of the fresh earth with my bare feet as we made our way up to the temple. These eagerly-awaited trips were suddenly snatched away from me, when I turned 11. Why? Why could the boys of my age who began these pilgrimages with me, continue visiting Ayyappa in his hilly home, while I had to stay behind? Just because I was a girl?”
A bench of 5 judges that includes Justice RF Nariman, DY Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra, AM Khanwilkar, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Mishra had held a hearing for 8 days in the month of August, where arguments from both parties were heard.
The Travancore Devaswom Board which runs the Sabarimala temple had argued that it’s a sensitive religions matter. They claimed that with women of menstrual age entering the temple, they are worried about the ‘purity’ of the 41 days long penance procedures that need to be followed before visiting the shrine.
However, treating women as lesser citizens in any way is against the constitution. So today, the Supreme Court has given the judgement that religion is a way of life and both men and women have the right to practice religion which is essential for their dignity and identity. Reading out the verdict Chief Justice Dipak Misra said, “Rules based on biological characteristics will not muster constitution.”
Banning them from entering a temple is against the right to worship of Hindu women. The Supreme Court has decided that it could not allow patriarchy to rule religion and scrapped the long-held ban. Coming so soon after yesterday’s adultery verdict, this is one more news for us women to celebrate!
Apart from being the Associate Editor at Women's Web, where I get to read, edit and write a lot of interesting articles, my life is simple. It begins at 'M' (Movies) and ends with ' read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
What I loved was how there is so much in the movie of the SRK we have known, and also a totally new star. The gestures, the smile, the wit and the charisma are all too familiar, but you also witness a rawness, an edginess.
When a movie that got the entire nation in a twist – for the right and wrong reasons – hits the theatres, there is bound to be noise. From ‘I am going to watch it – first day first show’ to ‘Boycott the movie and make it a flop’, social media has been a furore of posts.
Let me get one thing straight here – I did not watch Pathaan to make a statement or to simply rebel as people would put it. I went to watch it for the sheer pleasure of witnessing my favourite superstar in all his glory being what he is best at being – his magnificent self. Because when it comes to screen presence, he burns it, melts it and then resurrects it as well like no other. Because when it comes to style and passion, he owns it like a boss. Because SRK is, in a way, my last connecting point to the girl that I once was. Though I have evolved into so many more things over the years, I don’t think I am ready to let go of that girl fully yet.
There is no elephant in the room really here because it’s a fact that Bollywood has a lot of cleaning up to do. Calling out on all the problematic aspects of the industry is important and in doing that, maintaining objectivity is also equally imperative. I went for Pathaan for entertainment and got more than I had hoped for. It is a clever, slick, witty, brilliantly packaged action movie that delivers what it promises to. Logic definitely goes flying out of the window at times and some scenes will make you go ‘kuch bhi’ , but the screenplay clearly reminds you that you knew all along what you were in for. The action sequences are lavish and someone like me who is not exactly a fan of this genre was also mind blown.
When Jaya Bachchan speaks her mind in public she is often accused of being brusque and even abrasive. Can we think of her prodigious talent and all the bitter pills she has had to swallow over the years?
A couple of days ago, a short clip of a 1998 interview of Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan resurfaced on social media. In this episode of the Simi Grewal chat show, at about the 23-minute mark, Jaya lists her husband’s priorities: one, parents, two kids, then wife. Then she corrects herself: his profession – and perhaps someone else – ranks above her as a wife.
Amitabh looks visibly uncomfortable at this unstated but unambiguous reference to his rather well-publicised affair with co-star Rekha back in the day.
Watching the classic film Abhimaan some years ago, one scene really stayed with me. It was something Brajeshwarlal (David’s character) says in troubled tones during the song tere mere milan ki yeh raina. He says something to the effect that Uma (Jaya Bhaduri’s character) is more talented than Subir (Amitabh Bachchan’s character) and that this was a problem since society teaches us that men are superior to women.
Please enter your email address