Right to Pray and Gender Debate in India

Abstract

The article apprises about the historical and contemporary debate on Right to equality from a 'Gendered' perspective in India. The recent and ongoing turmoil surrounding right to pray and its link with the larger question of women's emancipation is the central theme of this paper. The paper notes that the clamour for "Temple Entry" is a refreshing trend in the women's movement in India since it replaces the State with Civil Society as the final arbiter of change. It seeks to establish the role of egalitarianism within competing narratives of Gender and its visibility in India. The paper classifies the gender discourse between egalitarian socialists and liberal postmodernists in India. Sticking to an objective content analysis the paper claims that, Ms. Trupti Desai, the founder of the Bhumata Brigade has enriched the discourse by transcending this chasm. Religion, Female Body, and Women's movement in India are three key interfaces encompassing this paper.