Sabari opens, Trupti is blocked
Board seeks time to implement SC verdict; activist returns to Pune
The Sabarimala temple in Kerala opened on Friday for the twomonthlong pilgrimage season amid a tense standoff involving social activist Trupti Desai in Kochi and a move by its administrator to seek time from the Supreme Court to implement its verdict allowing entry of women in menstrual age to the hilltop shrine.
In what is seen as a climbdown by the LDF government, the staterun Travancore Devaswom Board ( TDB), which manages the hill shrine, decided to approach the top court in a bid to prevent a repeat of violent protests from Ayyappa devotees and right wing activists. The decision was announced by its president A. Padmakumar in Pamba, minutes after the temple doors were opened at 5 pm. The TDB is a
statutory body under the Kerala government,
“If possible, we will move a petition in the Supreme Court either tomorrow or Monday,” Mr Padmakumar said.
The decision comes a day after the state government took a firm stand at an allparty meeting that it was bound to implement the apex court order and rejected suggestions by the Opposition parties that it seek time from the court. Earlier there was confusion and tension at the Cochin International Airport for 14 hours after Pune activist Trupti Desaim, who flew in to visit Sabarimala, was blocked by protesters chanting Ayyappa hymns. The protesters remained outside preventing her from emerging out of the arrival terminal of the airport. She and her six women colleagues from Bhumata Brigade later decided to return without visiting the hill shrine.
“We are going back not because we are afraid of the protests staged by them, but because the Kerala Police have requested us. They said if we continue our journey or stay here, there will be violence and disruption of law and order. To break the law and order is not our motive anyway,” Ms Desai told reporters.
Before boarding a flight to Mumbai, Ms Desai said that they will come back after some days to offer prayers at the temple. “Earlier, we ad publicly announced about our pilgrimage, but we won’t do that again,” she said.
Pathnamthitta district collector P. B. Nooh said no woman in the 10- 50 age group has so far approached the local administration seeking protection to visit Sabarimala.