A campaign to end discrimination against women at places of worship has met with success in different courts.
In Kerala, however, a group of women have started a Facebook campaign two days ago called #ReadyToWait to say that they back the ban on women of reproductive age from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, one of the most revered sites of worship among Hindus.
#Readytowait campaign, started as a counter debate after a national TV news channel aired a debate with the hashtag #RightToPray recently.
The campaign emphasises that there is no ban on the entry of women, only restriction of women of a particular age group.
My bhakthi is not selfish. #readytowait for Sabarimala Darshan. @Kuvalayamala @mohandastg @Swamy39 @TimesNow pic.twitter.com/KN1DBXABki
— Padma Pillai (@lotophagus) August 29, 2016
Women devotees are posting pictures holding placards that say ‘Ready to Wait’, which means these women are ready to wait till the age of 50 before they can enter the holy shrine. The posts that are now doing the rounds of the Internet are calling to women to become decision-makers in this regard.
Facebook user Anjali George’s post recently calling for “customs of the native civilization to be left to the devotees of the temple” apparently started off the social media campaign.
Devotees coming out with #ReadyToWait declaration.
— Anjali George (@Kuvalayamala) August 29, 2016
Women don't intend to allow Atheism win over Bhakti #Sabarimala pic.twitter.com/nTSXz0heTD
Through her #ReadyToWait posts George has requested women to “foist Abrahamic Puritanism on this mighty nation which has nurtured diversity and worshipped the feminine in all its varied forms,” as an answer to the monotheism, which is being widely propagated now.
Here is the text from Anjali George’s #ReadyToWait Facebook post.
Hinduism is under attack,Let's make this a war cry #ReadyToWait and trend it. Will show pseudo libfeminists what's true women empowerment.RT
— komalavalli (@komalavalli23) August 29, 2016
Sabarimala is not a gender issue. There is NO ban on entry of women in Sabarimala as the media is reporting. There is only a restriction on women of a particular age group. That has to do with the customs of the place.
You cannot apply the Semitic scale which reduces God to a human figure to pagan traditions that worship nature and its forces. Each temple has a unique custom, and that cannot be standardised just because the so called liberals who proclaim to be atheists don’t understand it. Just like there is space for both theism and atheism in Sanatana-dharma, there is also space for male or female worship or their exclusion from worship.”
So dear Western-funded Feminists and Godless Commies, leave the customs of the native civilisation to the devotees of the Temple.
Somethings in life are best left to half the population of our country 2decide #ReadyToWait to enter Sabarimala Temple than break traditions
— nikunj shah (@niku1630) August 29, 2016
Let the voice of devotees be heard instead of insensitive atheists from alien cultures.
Many users have come out in support of the campaign, condemning the “atheists” who are making matters worse for people there. Some users have said how court and politicians are unnecessarily interfering in matters of religion and tradition, accuses yet another. Another says that women of Kerala have absolutely no opposition to the restriction.
