MOODBIDRI: While the Sabarimala temple opened at 5pm on Friday for the two-month-long pilgrim season amidst tight security in the backdrop of a stand-off over the entry of women of menstrual age, the issue featured at a literary event here.Karnataka University, Hampi, vice-chancellor Mallika S Ghanti targeted political lobbies and those propagating a “religious Constitution” for opposing the apex court’s verdict on the entry of women into the temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa In her presidential address, during the inaugural event of the 15th Alva’s Nudisiri 2018 here, Mallika said the Supreme Court had upheld the right to equality by allowing menstruating women to enter the temple. She alleged that people with vested interests had been working overtime to earn political brownie points by portraying the verdict as hurting religious sentiments, saying time-tested beliefs cannot be changed in modern times.“There is opposition while giving Constitutional rights to dalits, women and farmers. This mindset is due to failure of the people to understand the Constitution, which has the onerous responsibility of taking the nation forward. One cannot honour democracy by denying entry to a place of worship on the basis of gender or caste. There’s a sustained attempt to destroy the diverse character of this land by these elements,’’ she remarked.Mallika said there was no substance in the claim that the entry of menstruating women desecrated the sanctity of the temple. “There is no logic to this argument. Those who oppose the Supreme Court verdict look at the issue from a patriarchal mindset,’’ she said, adding that they should perhaps look at other democratic countries that have given equality to women, and change their thinking.Opening that the issue could be resolved through patience and endurance, she said virtues such as love and trust would any day win over battles fought using weapons. She said even the great souls produced by the land, including Mahatma Gandhi, Gautam Buddha and Basavanna, propagated love and peace.Mallika rued that the religious harmony that exists in North Karnataka was missing in the coastal belt. She said several villages in North Karnataka, where the Muslim population was negligible, house dargahs and Hindus take the initiative of celebrating festivals such as Muharram. Referring to Dakshina Kannada and the coastal belt in general, she questioned why religious harmony was not there in the land where Jain seers lived and preached peace and harmony.Making special mention of social reformer Kudmul Ranga Rao, a Brahmin from Mangaluru who gave away all his property for the education of dalits, she stressed that such was the legacy of the place, and wondered why bloodshed began in the name of religion.Speaking about the controversial verdicts on triple talaq and adultery law, Mallika said the verdicts, when seen from a sympathetic view towards society, appear harmless. However, the court drew the ire of the orthodox as they viewed freedom on cultural and religious grounds of the bygone era and shaking their hold on women.Mallika urged for the nationalisation of education, health, food and housing, to bridge the widening gap between the preferential treatment that the rich and the poor received.She also opined that the government should chalk out a policy wherein farmers get to decide the price for their produce. This, according to her, will help farmers overcome poverty, and go a long way in keeping farmer suicides in check.

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