Mumbai: Bhumata Brigade president Trupti Desai and a few activists were allowed to pray at the famous Haji Ali Dargah shrine on Thursday amidst tight police security.
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Since then Desai has been fighting a separate battle from the “Haji Ali Sab Ke Liye” forum who distanced themselves from her. “Within 15 days, the dargah trustees must allow women till the spot where men are permitted, failing which we shall protest”, Desai said.
The Haji Ali Dargah Trust has justified the prevailing customs on grounds that permitting women upto the tomb would be “anti-Islam” and also argued about immunity as it was a “minority trust”.
“This is a fight to gender equality at religious places”.
Before leaving, Desai asked the shrine authorities to allow women till the point where their male counterparts have access.
A minor scuffle took place between police and both pro- and anti-Desai groups near the entrance in the evening, following which the Haji Ali Dargah Trust made a decision to exercise caution and shut the main gates two hours before the scheduled time of 10 p.m.
As tempers cooled down, Desai and her supporters again approached the dargah’s entrance, but only to be greeted again with full-throated slogans, banners and placards asking her to stop her “political stunts” and leave. “I wish someday all women are allowed to do darshan”, Desai said.
The Haji Ali Dargah does not allow women to enter the inner chamber.
Recently, Desai successfully led movements to do away with ban on women into the core worship area at Shani Shingnapur and Trimbakeshwar temples in Ahmednagar and Nashik districts of Maharashtra.
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She was earlier denied entry to the Dargah by protestors last month.
