Two women dared, but are now in hiding from mobs
dubai — Two women who entered Kerala’s Sabarimala temple and sparked riots amid the closure of the sanctum sanctorum for purification rituals on Wednesday are now being protected by the police as violence spreads in the Indian state. Police said 226 people have been arrested for the latest spell of rioting.
Khaleej Times spoke to the husband of one of the women who confirmed they are at a secure location. The two women, Bindu Ammini and Kanaka Durga, entered the hill-top temple in the south Indian state where protests have been continuing for more than three months.
India’s Supreme Court had ruled that everyone, including women, could enter the Hindu temple that had imposed restrictions on women of menstruating age from entering or offering prayers there.
One person was killed and scores injured in state-wide protests on Wednesday and Thursday. The shutdown called by organisations and the Bharatiya Janata Party that support rituals turned violent in all the districts of the state on Thursday.
K.V. Hariharan, husband of Bindu, told Khaleej Times over phone from Kerala that both the women are safe now. “I can’t reveal their location or other details because their lives are in danger. What I can reveal is that they are safe and under police protection.” Hariharan was with his wife and her friend when they entered the shrine early
Protests spread in Kerala after Sabarimala entry by Bindu and Kanaka
morning on Wednesday. He refuted allegations by right-wing protesters that their temple entry was a handiwork of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
“Bindu and Kanaka Durga had made an attempt to enter the temple on December 23 last year. However, after violent protests, the police forced them to return. Bindu began a fast demanding that they be allowed inside the temple. Authorities assured them that they would be given an opportunity to visit the temple and have ‘darshan’. Their entry this time was just a culmination of the effort,” he added.
“Along with Bindu, Kanaka Durga and myself, there were three friends who accompanied us. We met at Pamba valley and then trekked the temple from separate routes. Of course, the police offered protection to us.”
Hariharan said though there are threats against him, he is safe with some of his friends.”
To a question on how long the women will have to live in hiding, Hariharan said the situation would change. “This can’t continue for ever. We knew that we would be risking our lives when we started the journey. We have to face it.”
This is a very broad issue, he said. The Indian constitution and its judiciary are being threatened by a small group here. “The move by Bindu and Kanaka Durga was not just a case of entering the temple. It is an issue of safeguarding our constitution and the principle of gender equality,” he said.
Hariharan said both the women had no affiliation with any political party. “They are alleging that we are Maoists. Bindu is teaching at the Govt Law College in Calicut. We worked with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist Red Flag) earlier. But that is not a banned Maoist organisation but a political party that is working in a democratic way. However, we left our affiliation with the organisation 10 years back. Now, we have no political affiliation,” he added.