Topic Of The Day:-“Breaking Barriers: On Two Women’s Sabarimala Temple Entry”
The Key Is To Allow Women To Pray At Sabarimala In An Orderly Way
In facilitating the entry of two women, albeit in stealth and under the cover of darkness, the Kerala government has displayed some resolve in breaking the illegal blockade imposed by some devotees on permitting females in the 10-50 age group into the Sabarimala temple. This is the first time women of menstruating age have made their way into the shrine after a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in September 2018 threw the temple open to women of all ages. Under some pressure to demonstrate that it had not gone soft as a result of the upsurge of protests against the Supreme Court’s order and was keen on signalling that it was in favour of upholding the law, the government appears to have drawn up an elaborate and closely scripted plan, with assistance from the State police and civil administration, to help Bindu and Kanakadurga make their way unnoticed to the temple from the foothills at Pampa. Unfortunately, but not entirely unpredictably, news of their visit has resulted in a cycle of violent and politically orchestrated protests, clashes, and mass arrests. Tragically, one life was lost.
In the face of an illegal blockade to prevent menstruating-age women from visiting the temple, the Kerala government will regard this operation as a victory. But clearly, even it must be aware thatcovert ops such as this one are not a sustainable solution to the Sabarimala problem. The State government’s dilemma — and also its responsibility — is to find a way of ensuring safe passage for all women who want to visit the temple while keeping the peace at the same time. Given the passions at play, and the cynical attempts to politically exploit them, this is anything but an easy task. In the short term, though — and this may well have been its intent — the Left Front government has managed to alter the narrative in the Sabarimala controversy. The decision of the temple authorities to close the sanctum sanctorum and perform purification rituals hasinvoked old and regressive notions of purity and pollution, of defilement and desecration. They have focussed attention on the role of the chief priest (or Tantri) of Sabarimala, leaving him open to the charge levelled by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that his actions violated both the Supreme Court order and the Devaswom Manual. At a larger level, the entry of the two women has, perhaps inevitably, recalled Justice D.Y. Chandrachud’s words in the majority judgment in the Sabarimala case. In his judgment, he had argued that the ban on women’s entry was a “form of untouchability”, and their exclusion was a “violation of the right to liberty, dignity and equality”. Meanwhile, as passions continue to escalate, it is important for the State government, the Travancore Devaswom Board and also those representing the devotees to initiate a conversation and prevent the State from being consumed in a further cycle of violence and conflict over this issue.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) facilitating
Meaning : make (an action or process) easy or easier(v).
Synonyms : expedite
Antonyms : block
Example : “schools were located in the same campus to facilitate the sharing of resources”
2) stealth
Meaning : cautious and surreptitious action or movement(n).
Synonyms : covertness
Antonyms : show
Example : “the silence and stealth of a hungry cat”
3) resolve
Meaning : settle or find a solution to (a problem or contentious matter)(v).
Synonyms : boldness
Antonyms : fear
Example : “the firm aims to resolve problems within 30 days”
4) imposed
Meaning :force (an unwelcome decision or ruling)on someone(v).
Synonyms : appoint
Antonyms : disorder
Example : “the decision was theirs and was not imposed on them by others”
5) shrine
Meaning : a place regarded as holy because of its associations with a divinity or a sacred person or relic, marked by a building or other construction.
Synonyms : altar
Antonyms : secular
Example : “the medieval pilgrim route to the shrine of St James”
6) threw
Meaning : propel (something) with force through the air by a movement of the arm and hand(v).
Synonyms : deliver
Antonyms : discourage
Example : “I threw a brick through the window”
7) demonstrate
Meaning : clearly show the existence or truth of (something) by giving proof or evidence.
Synonyms : determine
Antonyms : conceal
Example : “their shameful silence demonstrates their ineptitude”
8) upsurge
Meaning : an upward surge in the strength or quantity of something; an increase(n).
Synonyms : recovery
Antonyms : downturn
Example : “an upsurge in vandalism and violent crime”
9) keen
Meaning : having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm(adj).
Synonyms : anxious
Antonyms : apathetic
Example : “a keen gardener”
10) elaborate
Meaning : involving many carefully arranged parts or details; detailed and complicated in design and planning(adj).
Synonyms : complicated
Antonyms : easy
Example : “elaborate security precautions”
11) assistance
Meaning : the action of helping someone by sharing work.
Synonyms : backing
Antonyms : damage
Example : “the work was completed with the assistance of carpenters”
12) unpredictably
Meaning : in a way that cannot be predicted(adv).
Synonyms : abrupt
Antonyms : calm
Example : “it is known that wildfires behave unpredictably”
13) Tragically
Meaning : in a way that involves or causes extreme distress or sorrow.(adv)
Synonyms : horribly
Antonyms : comically
Example : “Jim was tragically killed in a plane crash”
14) regard
Meaning : consider or think of in a specified way(adv).
Synonyms : view
Antonyms : ignorance
Example : “she regarded London as her base”
15) covert
Meaning : not openly acknowledged or displayed(adj).
Synonyms : hidden
Antonyms : open
Example : “covert operations against the dictatorship”
16) sustainable
Meaning : able to be maintained at a certain rate or level(adj).
Synonyms : continual
Antonyms : untenable
Example : “sustainable economic growth”
17) ensuring
Meaning : make certain that (something) will occur or be the case.
Synonyms : assure
Antonyms : endanger
Example : “the client must ensure that accurate records are kept”
18) exploit
Meaning : make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource).
Synonyms : adventure
Antonyms : failure
Example : “500 companies sprang up to exploit this new technology”
19) though
Meaning : however (indicating that a factor qualifies or imposes restrictions on what was said previously)(adv).
Synonyms : nevertheless
Antonyms : furthermore
Example : “I was hunting for work. Jobs were scarce though”
20) intent
Meaning : intention or purpose.(n)
Synonyms : decided
Antonyms : flexible
Example : “with alarm she realized his intent”
21) controversy
Meaning : prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion(n).
Synonyms : bickering
Antonyms : agreement
Example : “the design of the building has caused controversy”
22) regressive
Meaning : returning to a former or less developed state; characterized by regression(adj).
Synonyms : rigid
Antonyms : liberal
Example : “regressive aspects of recent local government reform”
23) notions
Meaning : a conception of or belief about something(n).
Synonyms : approach
Antonyms : being
Example : “children have different notions about the roles of their parents”
24) desecration
Meaning : the action of desecrating something.(n)
Synonyms : blasphemy
Antonyms : respect
Example : “the desecration of a grave”
25) inevitably
Meaning : as is certain to happen; unavoidably(adv).
Synonyms : necessarily
Antonyms : avoidably
Example : “inevitably some details are already out of date”
26) conflict
Meaning : be incompatible or at variance; clash(v).
Synonyms : battle
Antonyms : truce
Example : “parents’ and children’s interests sometimes conflict”
