For sheer bizarreness, our country takes the cake. An instance is the controversy over the non-formation of the Shivlingam at the Amarnath shrine. This phenomenon could well be because of natural climatic causes. However, the Kashmir Peethum Shankaracharya views it as a conspiracy to sabotage the annual pilgrimage to the cave-shrine by vested interests, including Pakistan. A commission of inquiry has been constituted to probe into this incident. The Shankaracharya is still dissatisfied, because he thinks that Justice K K Gupta, a retired judge of the J&K High Court appointed for the probe, is physically unfit to do justice to his assignment because of his age of 80.

Another bizarre incident concerns the Christian actress Meera Jasmine, who offered prayers in a Kerala temple to Lord Rajarajeshwara in fulfillment of her vow. Prohibition of entry into temples, fire temples, mosques and other places of worship to entrants not belonging to the particular religious faith, though unfortunate, is understandable.

Slapping a fine of Rs 10,000 on Ms Jasmine for the cost of purification rites is grotesque.

Again there was a ruckus over Kannada actress Jayamala’s alleged entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala. This temple is out of bounds for any woman even she is a Hindu unless she is before the stage of puberty or has crossed the age of menopause. Incredible that natural biological occurrences are still considered impure. Obviously the temple authorities are sublimely unaware that one of the fundamental duties of citizens laid down in the Constitution is to “renounce practices which are derogatory to the dignity of women.”

... contd.