The Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018) case was a groundbreaking decision by the Supreme Court of India, tackling the long-debated issue of women’s entry into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.
What Was the Issue?
Sabarimala temple, a famous pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, had traditionally barred women between the ages of 10 and 50—essentially those of menstruating age—from entering. The Indian Young Lawyers Association, along with other petitioners, challenged this practice, arguing that it violated fundamental constitutional rights.
Key Questions Before the Court
The case raised several critical legal and social questions:
- Did banning women from the temple violate their right to equality (Article 14) and protection against discrimination (Article 15)?
- Did it infringe on women’s freedom of religion (Article 25)? Can religious customs override fundamental rights?
- Did the temple qualify as an independent religious denomination under Article 26, giving it the autonomy to set its own religious rules?
The Supreme Court’s Verdict (4:1 Majority)
- The Ban Was Unconstitutional: The court ruled that excluding women based on age and menstruation violated their fundamental rights to equality (Article 14) and freedom of religion (Article 25).
- Not an Essential Religious Practice: The court determined that this exclusion was not an indispensable part of Hinduism and thus did not deserve protection under Article 26, which safeguards religious denominations’ autonomy.
- Women Have a Right to Worship: The judgment reinforced that faith is personal, and women should have equal rights to enter the temple and worship.
- Justice Indu Malhotra’s Lone Dissent: She took a different stance, arguing that courts should not interfere in religious customs unless they cause serious harm. According to her, faith is a deeply personal matter, and judicial intervention in religious practices should be limited.
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