Glad Supreme Court will examine case: Parsi woman

Goolrookh Gupta, the Parsi woman who petitioned the Supreme Court seeking freedom to enter Parsi religious places, said on Saturday that she was glad the court decided to examine the matter. The SC on Thursday agreed to examine an appeal of whether a Parsi woman could retain her religious rights after marring a non-Parsi man.

In March 2012, the Gujarat High Court held that a Parsi woman, by entering into a civil union with a non-Parsi under the Special Marriage Act, would cease to be a Parsi.

"I hope that the court gives a good judgement. Women are treated shabbily across different religions. If this continues, it will not bode well for society at large," said Gupta.

Gupta had approached the Gujarat HC when an Anjuman (a Parsi body) in Valsad, Gujarat, from where her parents hail, made a resolution prohibiting Parsi women who had married men from outside the community to enter fire temples or the Tower of Silence. The Trust said their decision was based on the directive by the general body, advice from the community's high priest, and the donor who donated the land. Though Gupta was herself never disallowed, she took up the fight when one of her friends was not allowed. "I was never disallowed inside temples, but most women are. Since there is no uniform law, trustees act according to their whims and fancies. I fear that I will not be allowed inside too," said Goolrokh.