There are few places in the world more recognisably French than the Eiffel Tower. And few principles are more deeply embedded in the French Republic than equality. Which is why the spectacle of female employees being moved out of sight because a visiting religious delegation apparently wanted to limit its interaction with women is not merely an odd little diplomatic embarrassment, but a rather revealing episode in the continuing struggle between religious accommodation and secular democracy.

The delegation belonged to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), whose first traditionally designed Hindu temple in France had just been inaugurated at Bussy-Saint-Georges, in the eastern suburbs of Paris. The temple is a substantial enterprise, reportedly costing more than €21 million, and BAPS celebrated its opening with a 13-day cultural festival. There is, of course, nothing remotely objectionable about building a Hindu temple in France. Religious freedom is precisely that. Hindus have every right to build temples, Christians to build churches, Muslims to build mosques and atheists to build absolutely nothing at all. The trouble began when a delegation of around 100 BAPS members visited the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower row: Paris probes erasure of women staff during Hindu visit as landmark reopens

Eiffel Tower shut after strike over ‘unacceptable’ removal of female staff for Hindu group’s visit

Europe heatwave: As flats turn into ovens, families sleep in parks for relief

Paris goes wild: Incredible scenes from PSG’s Champions League victory parade

According to the employees’ union, female workers were instructed to leave their stations, avoid certain areas and, in some cases, were replaced by male colleagues. The Eiffel Tower’s operating company, SETE, subsequently acknowledged that the delegation had requested arrangements intended to limit “interactions with women”.

The company conceded that the conditions “were not in line with SETE’s values, nor with the principles of equality between men and women” and said it would “accept the consequences”. Employees subsequently walked out, forcing the Eiffel Tower to close for a day. BAPS has denied seeking to exclude women, saying the visit “was coordinated in advance to minimise disruption,” and apologised for any pain or inconvenience caused. The investigation will have to establish........

© Mathrubhumi English