Court Hears Sabarimala Row: Women Not Untouchable for 3 Days, Says Justice Nagarathna
Court Hears Sabarimala Row: Women Not Untouchable for 3 Days, Says Justice Nagarathna
Mid hearing on Sabarimala case, judge flags that barring women from temple access is not acceptable; government counters the argument on untouchability.
The Supreme Court in New Delhi heard review petitions challenging the 2018 verdict on Sabarimala, as Justice Nagarathna indicated that treating women as untouchable for three days every month clashes with constitutional rights. The government counsel objected to the reasoning that excluding women aged 10 to 50 from the temple amounts to untouchability.
The petitions revolve around entry for women of reproductive age to the Sabarimala temple, a long-running flashpoint in debates about tradition, faith, and gender equality. The 2018 ruling allowing women to enter drew both praise and protests nationwide, and the current review petitions seek further guidance on how religious practices intersect with constitutional protections.
Observers say the courtroom discussion centers less on the temple itself and more on how Indian law interprets equality, autonomy, and religious liberty. The government has argued that patriarchal norms and gender concepts are rooted in Western ideas, urging a balanced approach that respects religious sentiments while opposing discrimination.
As the hearings progress, the court’s remarks could shape future rulings on access to religious spaces, signaling how the judiciary balances tradition with constitutional rights. The outcome could have wide-ranging implications across the country, where discussions of women’s agency and equality continue to surface in cultural and political debates.
