Activist Trupti Desai Was On Her Way To Protest Against The Dress Code Sign At Shirdi When She Was Taken Into Preventive Custody
When I was little, my parents put me in the habit of praying every morning and doing it in the little temple we’d made in our house. As I grew up, although my belief in god grew by itself, but I also realised that I didn’t have to necessarily sit in front of a statue of god to nurture my bond with him. I could do it simply sitting in my room, closing my eyes, devoting my prayers to him, just as I believe I could do it without having to wear a suit or covering myself up head to toe. An issue that was raised by Indian activist Trupti Desai, who while on her way to Shirdi, was taken into preventive custody for it.
Making a trip to Shirdi, that is regarded as a holy and spiritual ground for it was the former home of revered spiritual leader Sai Baba, Trupti’s intentions to head to Shirdi along with 15 to 16 members of her outfit Bhumata Brigade were to protest against the sign board that was put up, suggesting people to dress ‘properly’.
The boards put up in front of the temple apparently asked devotees to wear ‘civilised’ clothes if they wanted to enter the temple.
Desai was heading to Shirdi to protest the 'dress code' board put up by the Shirdi Shri Saibaba Sanstha Trust outside the templehttps://t.co/3WN36SHkSJ
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) December 10, 2020
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Activist Trupti Desai Detained On Way To Shirdi https://t.co/38NYAsxlm0 pic.twitter.com/ERxhJ9ZsI5
— NDTV (@ndtv) December 10, 2020
A report by PTI stated that Desai later claimed that if the boards were not taken down by December 31, they will again head for the temple town and that they’re standing their ground. As of yet, the activist has been barred from entering Shirdi in Ahmednagar district till December 11.
Ahmednagar Superintendent of Police Manoj Patil commented on the matter and said, “We released all the activists on Thursday evening and escorted them back upto the Pune district border.” Meanwhile, the Sai Baba Trust officials have stated that the boards were put up after they received complaints that a few people come to the popular shrine in “objectionable” clothes. ‘It was only an appeal and not the imposition of a dress code’, they said.
However, what we and probably Trupti failed to understand was why anyone’s clothes had to be a problem while they were coming in to simply pray. Especially when the so-called appeal was only directed at women, considering temple priests are under no such obligation. Trupti said, “If devotees have to adhere to a particular outfit, then temple priests should also be asked to cover up fully.”
