DNA Edit: In good faith – Religious beliefs dictate behaviour not the law

While the Supreme Court judgement has opened the doors of the temple of Sabarimala to women of all ages — including those of menstrual age — the  faith of millions of devotees of the bachelor god Lord Ayyappa is a  different matter altogether. The verdict is welcome as it removes  discriminatory practices for the 40 million worshippers visiting the  temple at least once a year. However, behaviour on religious issues are based on  tradition, customs and rituals. Faith and logic rarely go hand in hand  and in this case, the age restriction for women was voluntarily accepted  by many women.

Let’s not forget that many menopausal women visit the  shrine regularly. Consider this: The progressive lot which supported the  legal battle for the right to enter the temple doesn’t quite fit the  bill of a traditional believer. They may not be the sort who will queue  up for a darshan. However, the verdict should inspire all the stakeholders to come together and bury their differences. A Supreme Court verdict alone cannot make much of a difference if society does  not change its behaviour. And, to nudge behaviour change needs a mindset  change. 

The lone dissenting line taken by Justice Indu Malhotra  has found resonance in views critical of the apex court judgement. Justice Malhotra said: “Notions of rationality cannot be invoked in matters of religion. What  constitutes essential religious practice is for the religious community  to decide, not for the court. India is a diverse country...” In matters  of faith, the solution to a problem should come from the community  itself and not imposed from above. The apex court verdict shouldn’t  become a cause for friction.