Student chanting ‘Manuvaad se Aazadi’ are not aware what Manu said: Lekhi

Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament and a renowned lawyer did hard to justify Manu. She said that Manu should not be looked as it is being looked as he preached equality for women.

Meenakshi Lekhi, women parliamentarian, threw light on various scientific aspects that are related to Sabarimala. Meenakshi Lekhi who was the Chief Guest at the launch of the Sinu Joseph’s book ‘Women and Sabarimala’. She talked at length on the divinity of the Hindu religion and Women empowerment. She stated further that people need to respect the verdict of the Supreme Court regarding the Sabarimala Temple and said that opinionated people should respect the judgement despite having a contrary opinion. She said that students of JNU denigrate Manu by chanting ‘Manuvaad se aazadi’ but they should know that Manu’s ideology has always been about respecting women. In trying to defend Manu Lekhi strongly criticised the liberals and left.

When there is talk of JNU violence all over India and there are allegations on ABVP for spearheading the violence Lekhi said that violence in different places in India and New Delhi is because of the diversity of the religious, social and political circumstances.

Renowned spiritual writer and T.V panelist Arvind Subramanyam, the guest at the function, threw light on the tradition of Sabarimala Temple and how men who visit the temple neglect the customs of fasting for 41 days and other important aspects which are neglected as they are considered to be menial and trivial by them.

Sinu Joseph, the writer of the book, said that the book is a retort to the question “why women of menstrual age are not allowed in Sabarimala? “. This book talks about a prospect that is not often discussed which the science related to the circumscription of women in Sabarimala Temple.

According to one mythology, Lord Ayyappa is an avowed bachelor who has taken an oath of celibacy and according to one legend, Ayappa was born out of a union between two male gods which gave him the ability to defeat a she-demon who had been unstoppable until then. Upon defeating her, it was revealed that she was really a young woman who had been cursed to live the life of a demon. She fell in love with him and asked him to marry her, but he refused, saying he was destined to go into the forest and answer the prayers of his devotees. She persisted, so he said he would marry her the day new devotees stopped coming to seek his blessings and that never happened. The legend says that she waits for him at a second temple, which lies on the way to the main Sabarimala shrine. Women do not visit either temple - the belief is that to do so would insult both the deity and the sacrifice of the woman who loved him.

In September 2018, a five-judge Constitution bench had, by a majority 4:1 verdict, allowed girls and women of all ages to visit the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala, saying discrimination on psychological grounds was violative of the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution such as the right to equality.