Are you associating menstruation with impurity? SC questions Sabarimala temple board

The Supreme Court, which is currently hearing a plea to allow women to enter the Sabarimala temple, lambasted the Travancore Devaswom Board for being unfair and for their stand on banning entry of women of menstruating age inside the temple. Slamming the temple board for being unfair, the Supreme Court asked: “Is menstruation a tool to measure the purity of women? How will you measure the purity of men?” Raising pertinent questions about the controversial issue, the Supreme Court on Monday championed the rights of women to pray without being restricted by the various practices of tradition. On Sunday, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had made it clear that his government would not interfere in the customs and traditions of the hill shrine. “Government doesn’t interfere beyond a point on matters with regard to (religious) customs and faith,” Chandy said when asked about the stand of his government on the issue. The Supreme Court on Monday, very pointedly told the Sabarimala temple administration, “You are making a classification. Can a biological phenomenon be a reason for discrimination? All practices are acceptable till there is no distinction between genders.”

SC to Sabrimala:Are you associating menstruation with purity of a woman?Can biological phenomenon be condition precedent for discrimination?

— ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2016

SC to Sabrimala temple board: Whatever tests of austere practice you apply for men, apply for women too..?

— ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2016

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The Temple administration, according to ANI news, argued that the hill where women are not allowed is sanctified and this tradition dates back to hundreds of years. “When recruitment for the armed forces take place, citizens between 18-24 years of age are considered. It may seem as classification amongst men, but reason is endurance,” the temple administration told the Supreme Court. Supreme Court raised the following questions for the Sabarimala temple administration: “If men can go till a point (near the temple) without undertaking austere activities, why can’t women go If tests of austerity apply to men, why can’t women undertake them? Are you associating menstruation with impurity? You are making a classification. Can a biological phenomenon be a reason for discrimination? All practices are acceptable till there is no distinction between genders.”