Pawar calls for ending gender discrimination against women who are barred from entering Shani temple.
NCP President Sharad Pawar has come forward in support of allowing the entry of women in Shani Shingnapur temple. According to Pawar time has come to end the gender discrimination against women who are barred from entering the temple. He said that when god doesn’t make any discrimination between men and women why are human beings following this practice. He added that today women are playing a vital role in the development of the nation. Earlier a group of women activists had forcibly tried to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Shani shrine but they were prohibited from entering the temple by the police. They had later submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urging him to resolve this matter amicably.
“What kind of God is this who bars entry of women in temples? If there is indeed such a God, I do not believe in Him. My God cannot discriminate between genders,” Pawar said.
“I have already spoken to the temple authorities and requested them to re-consider their decision and allow women to enter the temple. Let us see the outcome,” he said.
Replying to a query, Pawar said the government cannot do anything much about the issue until villagers are convinced to shun traditional customs.
“First the villagers need to be taken into confidence on the issue and only then can the government do something about it,” he said.
Pawar said that if any reforms have to take place then villagers will have first change their mindset then only the government can intervene in this matter.
On the other hand, RSS has justified the age old norm of barring the entry of women in temple. The outfit heavily criticized women activists who had protested for ending the 400 year old tradition. However, the pro RSS-journal also called for a peaceful dialogue between the two sides to sort out the issue.
RSS mouthpiece ‘Organiser’ editorial read, “In case of Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra, there is a 400-year-old tradition of banning women from entering its sanctum sanctorum. The women activists from the Bhumata Brigade led by Trupti Desai tried to forcefully enter the temple to break this tradition.”
“Though there can be genuine concerns regarding space for women in religious matter, the arguments of rationalist protestors in support of defying the tradition are wrong on at least three counts.”
Titled Reformation through respectful dialogue, the editorial said, “From Sabrimala to Shani Shingnapur, liberals, seculars, rationalists, feminists are against the alleged discrimination against women in religious affairs.
“While in Sabrimala, entry of all women between 10 and 50 years is banned due to ritualistic practice and tradition, in Shani Shingnapur there is a 400-year-old tradition of banning women from entering its sanctum sanctorum,” it said.
“In both the cases, it is a matter of faith. The trustees, villagers and devotees of both the places believe that the tradition has some reason which has to be followed. Rationality has no place for faith or tradition.”
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has come out in support of the need to allow women into the temple. Fadnavis had later, in a series of tweets, advocated for a change in cultural traditions, saying that Indian culture and Hindu religion give women the right to pray.
Spiritual leader Morari Bapu has come forward in support of women in the ongoing controversy related to denying entry of women in some temples.
“Devatva (Godliness) appears in a house in which a girl is born, then why should women not be allowed inside a temple where a Devta exists?”
Morari Bapu made these comments while speaking at ‘Manas Rajghat’ organised by the Rajghat Samiti at Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi.
