A day after the Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra government to take pro-active steps to ensure that women are not discriminated against in places of worship, activist Trupti Desai was detained by police when she and 25 other women activists tried to enter the Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra on Saturday morning.
The court had said on Friday: “It is the fundamental right of women” to worship. Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis also said that the the government will not allow gender bias and will take steps to comply with the order.
Angry villagers, along with Shani Shingnapur temple trust members allegedly blocked the entry and pushed the members of Bhumata Ranragini Brigade led by Trupti Desai, thus preventing them from entering the temple premises.
On being denied entry to the core area, Desai and her associates sat on a dharna protesting against the failure of the authorities to uphold the court order.
The shrine is dedicated to Lord Shani, who personifies the planet Saturn in Hindu belief. Women devotees are not permitted on the platform as per centuries-old tradition followed at the shrine, which has no walls or a roof.
Desai and her band of women were not helped by the police forces present within the temple premises despite the high court ruling.
According to NDTV reports, a member of action committee formed to maintain the ancient tradition, Sambhaji Dahatonde said:
We will soon approach the Supreme Court against the High Court ruling as it is a matter of protecting the faith of devotees.
Pankaj Deshmukh, Additional SP, said law and order will be maintained at the temple premises and neighbouring areas.
Police had been deployed in strength by the district authorities, fearing a show-down between the campaigners and the local resisters, who had gathered in large numbers around the temple premises.
If Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis does not order police to allow us to worship at the restricted Shani platform area inside the temple in keeping with the HC order, I will file an FIR against him for violating it (the ruling). After the High Court itself ruled in women’s favour, we are determined to reach the sacred chauthara (platform) of the temple and we are sure that police will not restrict us en route.Trupti Desai told reporters
Trupti was told that if a temple does not allow any person, irrespective of gender, inside the sanctum sanctorum, then this Act (Maharashtra Hindu Place of Worship (Entry Authorisation) Act 1956) and its provisions will not be of any help.
In case of Shani Shinganapur, the temple trust used to allow men at ‘chauthara’ and only after our agitation started, they had put restrictions on males. So we should not be restricted.
Desai also urged the chief minister to issue directives to the local administration and police to cooperate with them to go inside the temple peacefully and allow them to worship Lord Shani, whose idol is placed at the chauthara.
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