Tradition of Sabrimala not gender discrimination: VHP

After the apex referred to a seven-judge bench petitions seeking a review of its previous judgment allowing women of all age to enter into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple, RSS and VHP on Thursday insisted the restriction has nothing to with gender discrimination and raised the point “whether the judiciary should interfere in an integral part of a religion”.

Holding that “matters related to traditions and customs are issues of faith and belief”, the all India publicity head (Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh) of RSS Arun Kumar said the RSS is of “firm view” that the judicial review under whatever pretext in the matter will be “violative of the spirit of the freedom of worship” guaranteed by our Constitution.

Kumar argued that the restriction of women belonging to a particular age-group to the Sabarimala shrine has nothing to with gender inequality or discrimination, and that is strictly based on the speciality of the deity.

“And the opinion of concerned authorities should be given paramount consideration in such matters,” he said while welcoming the Supreme Court's decision to accept the review petition on file and refer the matter to a larger Constitutional Bench.

Vishva Hindu Parishad secretary general Milind Parande said that “Unique tradition of a unique temple is not gender discrimination”, arguing that Hindu dharma doesn’t practice gender discrimination.

Parande expressed hope that the larger bench will also think whether the judiciary should interfere in an integral part of a religion, as "lakhs of women devotees have faith in the temple tradition and protested in huge numbers in support of it."