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The Sabarimala temple in Kerala will open Wednesday for the first time after the Supreme Court verdict last month allowing women of all ages to enter the temple. A group of protesters have made up its mind not to allow the women of ‘menstruating age’ to enter the temple. So tensions are running high. Most of the major dailies have put the news on their front pages.
The Indian Express has put the assurance by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the headline, writing “Kerala on edge, CM holds his ground: ‘gender equality, law’”. The Hindu has emphasised the police crackdown on women protesters who are opposing the Supreme Court verdict.
The Telegraph has put the news on its third page, while The Asian Age has put it on page four.
A constitution bench of the Supreme Court last month declared the centuries-old Sabarimala tradition ‘unconstitutional’ in a 4-1 verdict and allowed women of all groups to enter the temple. Vijayan Tuesday said his government would not file a review petition.
Bharatiya Janata Party president (BJP) Amit Shah is on the front pages of several dailies, courtesy his latest Goa move. Moments after flying to New Delhi Tuesday and meeting Shah, two Congress legislators from Goa, who resigned from the state assembly, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal.
Hindustan Times has written, “After meeting with Shah, two Goa Cong MLAs quit to join BJP”. The political drama started unfolding after ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar returned to Goa. In last year’s assembly elections, the BJP won 14 seats in the 40-member assembly but formed the government with coalition partners. The Congress had won 16 seats. Defection by two MLAs reduces its strength to 14.
On its front page, The Asian Age has said, “Jolt to Cong as 2 MLAs defect to BJP in Goa”. Hindustan Times has reported that Congress-turned-BJP leader and minister in Goa government Vishwajit Pratapsingh Rane has been instrumental in strengthening the numbers for BJP in Goa.
Prime Time
Will women be able to enter Sabarimala temple safely?
Republic TV anchor Arnab Goswami debated the safety of women devotees of Sabarimala as the temple opens Wednesday. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Tuesday said his government was committed to implementing the Supreme Court’s order and would not allow anyone to take law into their own hands. During the show, activist Rahul Easwar, who is against women’s entry into the temple, said there will be a Gandhian form of protest. Ranjana Kumari, director, Centre for Social Research, however, termed the protests disrespectful to the Indian Constitution.
Easwar said, “We will lie down on the street, the women who wish to enter will have to step on our chest and enter. This is a Gandhian way of resistance.”
Kumari said, “Protesting against the court’s decision is utter disrespect to the Constitution and the Supreme Court of India.”
India Today anchor Preeti Choudhry debated the same subject. During the show, Trupti Desai, leader of Bhumata Brigade, said women will enter the temple Wednesday. BJP leader Shilpa Nair, however, said BJP can only request for peaceful protests.
Desai said, “We will enter the temple tomorrow and pray. Will end this gender inequality.”
Nair said, “We can only request the devotees to hold peaceful protests.”
News it’s kinda cool to know
A new study suggested shelled marine creatures living in increasingly acidified oceans face a battle for survival as climate change effects spread, reports The Hindu.
The study was conducted by researchers from University of Plymouth, UK, and University of Tsukuba, Japan, and published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. It assessed the impact of rising carbon dioxide levels on the large predatory ‘triton shell’ gastropod, said the report.
Courts had no business in interfering in such a silly issue when it comes to tangibility. I found at some other column in The Print someone equating it with sati! The worse part is The Print publishing such an insane statement. There should be some sense of proportion. Had any reader made such a preposterous statement, I am sure, The Print would have blocked it.
If some people want to have some special club, which has the membership only by invitation, so be it. Even most advanced countries have not been able to tame stupidity connected with God. So, it better to tread carefully, particularly with matters that have very little connection with tangible things.
I think the courts should instead intervene in the matter of sexual segregation at public toilets, as the matter is very much tangible and literally urgent one!