2 women ‘almost’ make history at Sabarimala
SABARIMALA: Ending hours-long drama and tense moments at Sabarimala, two women reached the hilltop on Friday but were denied entry to the sanctum sanctorum following massive protests by Lord Ayyappa devotees.
A large number of devotees blocked the young women and police team escorting them at Valiya Nadappandhal, the queue complex located a few metres away from the holy ‘pathinettam padi’ (the 18 sacred steps), leading to the sanctum sanctorum.
The women were identified as a reporter from Hyderabad in her late 20s and an activist from Kerala.
The devotees, including senior citizens and children, protested against the entry of women of menstrual age group into the hill shrine.
The situation was brought under control after the women agreed to return as the state government made it clear it did not want to take them to the Sannidhanam, the temple complex, by using force against the protesting devotees.
The ‘tantri’ (head priest) made it clear he would close the temple if the women were
escorted into the sanctum sanctorum also advised them to return as per instructions of the police.
Though the women had earlier insisted they should reach the shrine, police later convinced them about the seriousness of the situation and conveyed the stand taken by the government and the head priest.
If they had reached the shrine, they would have been the first women from the menstruating age group to visit the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala after the Supreme Court order permitting women of all age groups to enter the shrine.
Inspector General S Sreejith, who led the police team escorting the women, later told reporters the women had expressed their willingness to go back.
“The tantri has informed me that he will close the temple and go if the women enter the shrine complex. It was conveyed to the women, and they have expressed their willingness to go back. We will give them protection, in the same manner, to climb down the hills,” he said.
Devotees responded to the announcement with loud chanting of “Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa”.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The opposition Congress and BJP Friday hit out at the Left government in Kerala for allegedly extending support to bring women activists to Sabarimala temple, hurting the sentiments of devotees.
They also alleged the police gave one of the women, who climbed to the hill shrine amid heavy security, their official uniform and helmet.
The two women, identified as a journalist from Hyderabad and a Kochi-based activist, trekked Sabarimala and reached a few metres away from the holy 18 steps with police escort but had to return due to massive protest by devotees.
Attacking the CPI(M)LED LDF government on the issue, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala asked whether the police gave security to the real devotees.
“Has the government taken to the shrine the real devotees? Is the entry of women into the shrine a commando opera-
tion? Is this the supreme court order?” he asked.
“The government has extended support to bring activists to Sabarimala, hurting the sentiments of Lord Ayyappa devotees,” Chennithala said. Earlier in the day, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran admitted that one of the women who trekked to the shrine was an activist and made it clear that holy Sabarimala was not a place to show their strength and activism.
Referring to the massive protest at the temple complex by the devotees and the ‘parikarmies’, the assistants of the priests, Chennithala said the “illogical” steps taken by the government on the Sabarimala women entry issue had led to this situation.
He also reiterated the UDF stand that the Pinarayi Vijayan government showed “over-enthusiasm” and “hurry” to implement the apex court order permitting women of all age groups into the Lord Ayyappa temple.
The government unilaterally moved forward on the
matter without trying for a consensus among stakeholders, he said.
Chennithala also alleged that the BJP-RSS combine was trying to inflame communal passion over the matter.
Hitting out at the LDF government, BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai said the state authorities were trying to make Sabarimala a “clash zone”.
The police escorted two women to the shrine by making one of them wear police uniform and a helmet, without considering the sentiments of the devotees, he alleged.
A large number of devotees blocked the young women and police team escorting them at Valiya Nadappandhal, the queue complex located a few metres away from the holy ‘pathinettam padi’ (the 18 sacred steps), leading to the sanctum sanctorum. Tension was defused after the women agreed to return as the state government made it clear it did not want to take them to the Sannidhanam, the temple complex, by using force against the protesting devotees.