The entry of two women in their mid-40s into the sanctum sanctorum (sannidhanam) of Sabarimala shrine marked the end of a rigidly-followed discriminatory custom. It is sure to go down in history as a milestone in the struggle for gender equality in India and as a triumph of enlightenment over obscurantism.
The frenzied backlash over the implementation of the Supreme Court order by the state government is understandable. But it is bound to die down soon as there is no worthwhile cause to drive it. The protest by small-minded zealots cannot stop change in the march of time. Parties that oppose it and their youth and student wings must see reason and abjure violence and stop damage to public property. Instead of unleashing senseless violence they can reinvent themselves and spend their time and effort on advancing the cause of justice and freedom.
G David Milton Maruthancode
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