Kerala fails the Sabarimala test
The change should have come in a more socially inclusive way
The moment the Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple was announced, it was clear that it would be bitterly opposed. But instead of acting firmly and decisively, the Kerala government allowed things to spiral
ourtake out of control. It left the process of holding meetings with all stakeholders for too late. Even when the protests began and it was evident that things were taking an ugly turn, the state did not deploy enough police in general, and policewomen in particular, to deal with the women who were protesting the verdict. These protestors attacked women who were trying to trek towards the temple. Indeed, the state government also seems not to have anticipated the extent of anger with which the idea of opening the temple to everyone would be greeted.
This is not about the verdict itself. The issue of equality before the law was settled by the courts. There is an argument that the law should supersede religious beliefs for all religions but that is not the issue here. The Kerala government should have initiated discussions on how best the order could be executed without violence and in a manner in which all sentiments are respected. To reap electoral dividends, the Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh decided to support the protests. The protests also have the support of the Opposition Congress in the state.
The state’s Left Democratic Front government is caught in a bind between implementing the Supreme Court order (as any government should), and not antagonising the protesters more by clamping down on them.
The state government could have ensured the change was carried out in a more socially inclusive manner. It could have even asked the court for more time to implement the order, even while sticking to its original position of not seeking an outright review. It could have ensured better and stronger policing. Instead it presided over what can only be termed a car crash in slow motion.