A day before it reopens, Sabarimala fortified
DENYING ENTRY Hindu outfits urge media houses not to send women journalists to shrine THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
: With less than 24 hours left for Sabarimala shrine to be opened for one-day pooja, several Hindu outfits opposing the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to worship at the hill temple have written to media houses not to depute women journalists to cover the one-day event.
In a letter to editors, Sabarimala Karma Samiti, an umbrella organization of many outfits including Viswa Hindu Parishad and Hindu Aikya Vedi, urged them not to send women journalists to the area as it would aggravate the emotional issue.
“We recognize your right to support or oppose devotees’ stand on the issue, but the issue is highly emotional and we expect you will not take a stand that will aggravate the situation further,” the letter said. When the temple opened for the first time after the verdict on October 18, the base camps had witnessed large-scale violence hurting many including women scribes.
Ahead of the pooja, the hill temple and its base camps looked like a fortress with heavy police deployment even as many Hindu outfits have threatened to prevent women aged between 10 and 50 years from entering the temple.
Police have clamped prohibitory orders (Section 144 of IPC) since Saturday night and all vehicles passing through the areas are checked randomly for possible trouble-makers, said state police chief Loknath Behra, adding the temple and surrounding areas are under a three-tier security ring. Earlier media men were not allowed to go to two bases camps, Pambha and Nilakkal, but later the DGP made it clear that there was no restriction for media. Police have been issued instructions to arrest those who prevent women from entering the temple.
Congress and BJP have decried the heavy deployment of police saying it will disturb atmosphere of the temple and curb free movement of pilgrims. “It is nothing but fascism. Even media movement was curbed,” said Pradesh Congress Committee president Mullappally Ramachandran.
“No other temple in the country might have faced such an ignominy. Devotees will have to go through five check posts. CM Pinarayi Vijayan is in hurry to allow women to the temple and he will be fully responsible for its outcome also,” said BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai.
The Pandalam royal family, considered to be the custodian of the temple, also said heavy deployment of security personnel will affect the divinity of the shrine.
“Situated in the midst of a tiger reserve it is one of the peaceful shrines of the country. Now it looks like a police camp. It is sad to have a ‘darshan’ under police cordon,” said Sasikumar Varma, scion of the royal family.
The Sabarimala Karma Samiti said though the SC had decided to hear the writ and review petitions, the state government was “intentionally ignoring the mass movement against the verdict and hastily trying to enforce it using brutal force.”