J. Sai Deepak

J. Sai Deepak is an Indian lawyer who became notable for appearing in the Supreme Court case pertaining to the entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple. He represented an organisation called People for Dharma that sought to represent the interests of Ayappan, the deity to whom Sabarimala is dedicated, and opposed the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 into the temple.[1]

Education and career

Deepak graduated from Anna University with Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering in 2006, and completed his LL.B. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He hails from a Tamil Brahmin[2] family, and grew up in Hyderabad[3].

In 2009, he joined Saikrishna & Associates. Rising to Associate Partner, he left the firm to practice independently.[4][5][6] In 2016, he represented the State of Madhya Pradesh before the Delhi High Court in its challenge to the cessation of supply of the Basmati breeder seeds from the central government.[7]

Indian Young Lawyers Association v. The State of Kerala

In September 2018, a five judge bench the Supreme Court of India delivered its judgment in Indian Young Lawyers Association v. The State of Kerala, ruling that all pilgrims regardless of their biological gender, including women in the menstruating age group, should be allowed to enter Sabarimala.[8] Previously, menstruating women between the ages of 10 to 50 were not allowed to enter the temple.[9]

Representing an organisation named People for Dharma, J. Sai Deepak had argued that the entry of women should not be permitted since the deity must be considered as a person, entitled to the right to privacy. He submitted that since the deity was a naisthika brahmachari (celibate), entry of women should continue to be restricted.[10][11] In an interview with Firstpost regarding the case, he stated that,

"It is the will of the deity that is being preserved by the temple through the traditions it observes, which is effectively the object of Article 26. Finally, the deity has the right to follow his dharma like any other person under Article 25(1) and the state is duty-bound to protect his faith. In light of this, clearly the petitioners' rights under Article 25(1) cannot prevail over the deity's rights. In fact, they must be necessarily subservient to the rights of the deity."[12]

Although the Supreme Court rejected his arguments, Deepak gained widespread prominence among those that supported the continuation of the tradition.

References
  1. "Sabarimala Temple row: Legal precedents and gray areas on essential practices in the context of temple worship - The Financial Express". financialexpress.com. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  2. "Befitting Reply to a Pseudo Feminist by J. Sai Deepak/Feminism/Sabarimala Temple/Hinduism - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  3. "Episode 10: Right People with J Sai Deepak - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  4. Jain, Rupesh (13 June 2019). "J. Sai Deepak shares his insights on litigation world and Sabarimala issue". SCC Online. Eastern Book Company. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  5. Ashok, Donnie (3 May 2015). "J. Sai Deepak, Associate Partner, Saikrishna & Associates, on studying Law after Engineering, experience in IPR, and taking landmark cases to success". SuperLawyer - share your career experience and professional insights with law students and lawyers. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  6. "Meet Sabarimala case lawyer Sai Deepak J, who caught the nation's attention with his 'celibacy' argument". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  7. Mittal, Priyanka (16 December 2016). "Madhya Pradesh govt moves Delhi HC challenging cease of basmati breeder seeds". livemint.com/. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  8. Suri, Manveena. "Sabarimala Temple: India's Supreme Court lifts ban on women entering shrine". CNN. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  9. "Ayyappan | Hindu deity". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  10. "Sabarimala case: Deity living person, has right to privacy, women devotees to SC". Indian Express. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  11. "'Free temples from state control and make India truly secular' - The Sunday Guardian Live". The Sunday Guardian Live. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  12. "A lawyer for Lord Ayyappa: Advocate Sai Deepak turns heads in SC arguing for Sabarimala deity's right to celibacy - Firstpost". firstpost.com. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
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