Ugly scenes as temple prepares to accept women
NILACKAL, India: Tensions flared in India yesterday as traditionalists tried to stop women visiting one of Hinduism’s most sacred temples, with angry crowds opposed to female pilgrims surrounding vehicles and intimidating journalists.
Last month, India’s Supreme Court overturned a ban on females aged between 10 and 50 entering and praying at the hilltop Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in the southern state of Kerala.
This enraged traditionalists, including supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP).
Thousands protested in the days running-up to the scheduled opening on Wednesday afternoon.
Kerala’s state government said it would enforce the court ruling, deploying 500 extra police to ensure free access to the remote complex which is reached by an uphill trek that takes several hours.
At Nilackal, a base camp below the temple, police cleared protestors early Wednesday morning and arrested seven people who were stopping vehicles.
“Anyone who wants to go to the temple will be able to do so without hindrance,” said police chief Manoj Abraham. “Stern action will be taken against anyone who prevents devotees from going to Sabarimala,” Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday.
But later, as many tens of thousands of pilgrims made their way towards the temple groups mostly male protesters intimidated female journalists, including one from AFP.
Television pictures showed men surrounding and hitting a car that appeared to contain a woman journalist, while another reporter was shown being encircled and shouted at while on air.