RSS backs women’s entry into temples, against quota for affluent

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, RSS, has said that restriction on entry of women in any temple is “unfair” and disapproved of demand for reservation in jobs and educational institutions by the “affluent” sections.

“Because of some unfair traditions, at certain places there has been a lack of consensus on the question of temple entry. Such sensitive issues should be resolved through discussion and dialogue and not through agitations,” RSS general secretary Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi said on Sunday at a press conference in Nagaur.

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“Women go to thousands of temple across the country but in reference to some, where their entry is an issue, there is a need to change the mentality. Management of such temples should also understand this,” he said.

Some women groups have been agitating for ending the practice of disallowing women to certain temples like Shani Shingnapur Temple and sanctum sanctorum of Trimbakeshwar Temple in Nashik in Maharashtra.

“Women have been learning the Vedas and also performing religious practices,” the RSS leader said.

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In a veiled reference to the recent Jat agitation, RSS also disapproved of reservation demands by the “affluent” sections and favoured a study to ascertain whether the deserving backward classes are actually getting the quota benefits.

Disapproving of demands for quota by “affluent” sections, Joshi said the provisions of reservation made by Bhimrao Ambedkar were for social justice and that concept should be kept in mind by those demanding reservation today.

“It is felt that this thinking (demand by affluent class) is not in the right direction. People of such (affluent) class should give up their right and should help the weaker section of the society. But instead of that, they are demanding reservation for themselves which is not a thinking in the right direction,” he said.

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The Jat community had last month launched a violent agitation in Haryana for reservation. The state has a BJP government.

The RSS general secretary was addressing a press conference at the end of a three-day conclave of Akhil Bhariya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the RSS, which passed resolutions on Social Harmony as also Education and Healthcare.