SC to hear today pleas against women’s entry
SABARIMALA ROW Temple to open in four days, Kerala minister says allparty meeting likely
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Supreme Court on Tuesday is expected to hear petitioners who have challenged its order allowing women of all ages to pray at Sabarimala temple in Kerala, where traditionalists have launched a strong protest in support of a centuries-old tradition banning the entry of female devotees between 10 and 50 years.
Four days before the shrine opens for a three-month annual pilgrimage, the court will take up over 45 petitions and applications arguing that faith cannot be judged by scientific or rational reasoning.
Protesters claim women of menstruating ages are not allowed to enter the temple nestled in the Western Ghats because the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa, is considered celibate.
“The government has an open mind. We will call an all-party meet to discuss the Sabarimala issue. We will decide the date and other details after the Supreme Court decision on review pleas,” Kerala temple affairs minister, Kadakampally Surendran, said on Monday.
Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) , which has intensified its Sabarimala campaign, and the Congress have criticised the Kerala government’s handling of the situation and supported the protesters.
The Left government, led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has reiterated that the administration is committed to implementing the court’s September 28 order, but blamed political rivals for politicising the issue.
BJP state president, PS Sreedharan Pillai, who is on a ‘rath yatra’ supporting temple’s customs, said, “We hope the highest court will take note of the mounting protests by devotees and take an appropriate decision.”
In Delhi, solicitor general, Tushar Mehta, on Monday refused permission to initiate contempt proceedings against Pillai and four others for allegedly speaking up against the court verdict in rallies. About a month back, two women advocates approached the office of attorney general, KK Venugopal, who recused himself on grounds that he had in the past represented Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). In the court, TDB, which is in charge of the administration of the temple, opposed the entry of women of all ages into the temple at that time.
A permission from the office of the attorney general is necessary for admitting contempt pleas. The matter raised by the women advocates was then handed over to solicitor general, Mehta, who did not grant permission.
“It is a welcome move. We expect a favourable outcome from the highest court. Except communists, who are atheists, the whole state is protesting the move to dilute the age-old temple tradition. Leave alone Hindus, even Christians and Muslim also support the mounting protests,” said Kerala BJP leader, K Surendran. Sabarimala and its base camps have witnessed violent protests after the Supreme Court, in what has been hailed as a landmark verdict, stressed that divinity and devotion cannot be subject to the rigidity and stereotypes of gender. But protesters clashed with police, intimidated journalists and stopped the entry of at least 15 women in the past oneand-a-half months, when the temple opened its door twice — on October 17 for a five day-monthly ritual and on November 5 for a one-day ‘pooja’.