Patriarchy, Gender Are Concepts Imported From West: Centre In Sabarimala Case

India has historically not only treated women equally but often placed them on a "higher pedestal", and concepts like patriarchy and gender stereotypes are not intrinsic to the country's civilisational ethos, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Tuesday, backing the restriction on the entry of women of menstruating age into Kerala's renowned Sabarimala temple. The top court is currently hearing review petitions against its landmark 2018 verdict that had lifted the ban that prevented women between the ages of 10 and 50 from entering the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple and held that the centuries-old Hindu religious practice was illegal and unconstitutional.