• Sabarimala is considered to be one of the holiest temples in Hinduism, with one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world.
• The faithful believe that the deity’s powers derive from his asceticism, and in particular from his being celibate.
• Women between the ages of 10 and 50 are barred from participating in the rituals.
• The exclusion was given legal sanction by Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965.

Supreme Court’s verdict:

• The Supreme Court, in Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala, a majority opinion of 4:1 lifted the centuries-old practice of prohibiting women to enter the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala.
• The Court condemned the prohibition as hegemonic patriarchy. It said that exclusion on grounds of biological and physiological features like menstruation was unconstitutional as it was violative of the right to equality and dignity of women.
• Right of women to enter Sabarimala was guaranteed under Article 25(1). This provision states that all persons are equally entitled to practise religion.

India is a diverse society, considered as ‘fruit-salad of cultures’, where each has its unique identity. The question whether Constitution alone is enough to fight social evils in India is a matter of debate.

• Many social evils like illiteracy of females, Domestic violence, female infanticide, prostitution, dowry, trafficking of humans are still prevalent in India despite measures taken by the Governments and Courts taking the support of Constitution. Many of these social evils are promoted by the religious backing and cultural bolstering.
• By using hard measures like verdicts of top courts and imposing rules against such practices, there is no guarantee that the practices will be wiped out. Example: The recent flogging of Dalits at Una, gujarat
• This would risk the credibility of the courts, undermining our secular democracy and compromising the prospects for religious reform.
• Rather, there is a need to engage with the people, understand their concerns and try to educate them of the ramifications.
• These issues need empathetic and respectful engagement, accompanied by moral pressure and even peaceful protest.
• The courts and the government need to exercise restraint in beliefs and practices as the religious institutions also have a fundamental right under Article 26.
• Dragging the state into matters of faith opens the door to a religious state.
• There is a need to reform many discriminatory practices that continue to prevail — be it the absence of women priests in our temples, mosques, and churches, or the persistence of caste-considerations in marriages.
• In a secular state like India, these practices have to be fought socially and politically rather than, taking the legal route.
• Kerala has a proud tradition of exactly this sort of social campaign against caste-based exclusion. In Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian movement used its political strength and the popular appeal of its ideology to significantly roll back the social dominance of upper castes.
• The Anglican Church has admitted women to the priesthood because, after years of debate, the congregation was persuaded, not because of British court judgments or pressure from the government.
• The more that reformist efforts tap the resources within the religious tradition that they seek to change, the more likely they are to be effective.
• Dalit priests are increasingly found in temples in the south not least because modern-day reformers have cited the narratives of “untouchable” saints in the Vaishnava Alvar and Saiva Nayanar canons.

Conclusion:

 In a liberal democracy, everybody has their rights. In matter of social and cultural values, it is always better to convince and win over those who don’t share your views. Hard measures may fuel the same sort of political backlash against liberal mores from religious-minded traditionalists that is being witnessed in previously-secular countries such as Turkey, and, jeopardise much-needed progress on social and religious reforms in our country.