VOA慢速英语--印度妇女进入印度教寺庙引发抗议活动

 Protests in India after Women Enter Hindu Temple

Two women have entered a Hindu temple for the first time since a ban was lifted on female visitors between the ages of 10 and 50.

The women entered the Sabarimala temple in the southern state of Kerala on Wednesday. The move led to large protests across the state.

The longtime ban barred women or girls of menstruating age from entering the temple, which draws millions of visitors each year. Some Hindus consider menstruating women to be impure¹.

India’s Supreme² Court ordered a lifting of the ban in September. But despite the ruling, opponents and conservatives continued to block women aged³ 10 to 50 from entering.

A local police spokesperson said officers walked with the two women Wednesday to provide protection during their visit. The Reuters news service reported that a police official said officers also guarded the homes of the women after they left the temple. Police were also prepared to go with other women who wanted to enter the temple, the official said.

Protests broke out in several places in Kerala state after the women entered the temple. The police spokesperson said demonstrators blocked several roads and threw rocks at officers. He added that police fired tear gas in an effort to stop violence. There were no immediate⁴ reports of injuries.

Police officials said they were preparing for more demonstrations⁵ on Thursday because several political and Hindu groups have called for a strike to protest the women’s entry.

On Tuesday, millions of women in Kerala joined hands to form a human link that stretched more than 600 kilometers. The act was a showing of support of gender⁶ equality. The Communist Party of India, the ruling party in Kerala state, said about 5.5 million women took part.

On Wednesday, hundreds of women in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, also formed a human chain to express support for the women in Kerala.

The Supreme Court has agreed to re-examine its decision to lift the ban, after numerous legal challenges were brought against it.

Opponents of the ruling have argued that decisions made by the temple’s religious leaders are protected by India’s constitution. They also note that women of all ages can worship at other Hindu temples.

The Kerala state government has sought to permit women to enter the Sabarimala temple. But the position has drawn⁷ criticism from other political parties. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party opposes the Supreme Court’s decision.

Modi told India’s ANI news service that he felt the temple issue was more about religious tradition than gender equality. He noted⁸ that there are also temples that bar men from entering.

I’m Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

temple – n. building where people in some religions go to pray or worship

menstruation – n. of or relating to the flow of blood that comes from a woman's body each month?

gender – n. the state of being male or female

challenge – n. an expression of disagreement with ideas, rules or authority

worship – v. to show respect and love for God by praying or attending religious services

1 impure   

adj.不纯净的，不洁的；不道德的，下流的

参考例句：

• The air of a big city is often impure.大城市的空气往往是污浊的。
• Impure drinking water is a cause of disease.不洁的饮用水是引发疾病的一个原因。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

6 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。