The Hindu : National : Sabarimala: Sachar objects to Minister's stand

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Thursday, Jul 20, 2006

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Sabarimala: Sachar objects to Minister's stand

Mr. Rajindar Sachar, former president, People's Union for Civil Liberties, has issued the following statement:

"Kerala Minister, Mr. G. Sudhakaran, has taken objection to the suggestion of Ms. K.R. Gauri, former Minister, that the Sabarimala temple be made accessible to women. This is surprising and painful coming as it does from a person who is Minister in the Kerala Cabinet, which is sworn to secularism and gender-free bias. It is wrong, in my view, to take the stand that these rituals which are discriminatory to women or secularism are not the concern of the government.

"In this connection, [thanks to] the bold stand taken by Nehru and his insistence on passing in 1952 [the] Hindu Women Right to Property Act, notwithstanding the very serious objections raised by equally tall leaders like President Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the law came into force. Had Nehru wavered and become unnecessarily nervous at the reaction of the medieval religious slogans the advancement of women's movement would have suffered.

"The Government of Kerala has an Endowment Board and also gives some funding and also has a hand in managing the temple. With that situation it is not permissible for the government to take neutral, rather than adverse, position on women praying at the temple. Male chauvinism or dominance has no place in our socialistic Constitution. It is also ironic that Hinduism which prays to the Goddess of Durga, and Parvati should in practice allow the keepers of [the] temple to deny to women their inherent right to pray before the deity."

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