Supreme Court reexamines Kerala's Sabarimala verdict on customs and rights
The Supreme Court is once again looking at the big question: should religious customs override individual rights?
On Tuesday, the judges revisited their 2018 decision that let women of menstruating age enter Kerala's Sabarimala temple, a move that sparked a lot of debate.
Some argued that following Lord Ayyappa's celibacy tradition is essential, while Justice Nagarathna pointed out that outsiders to a religion may not be the best ones to judge its customs.
Gopal Subramanium: Customs protected unless harmful
The judges discussed where to draw the line between religious practices and what's just tradition.
Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium said customs are protected unless they threaten health, public order or morality, but also wondered if society should rethink old rules as times change.
There was also pushback against comparing Sabarimala's entry ban to caste-based untouchability, with some saying ritual purity in temples is a different issue altogether.