No women journalists please, hardliners say amid Kerala row

Doors of Sabarimala temple will be open today for ‘Chithira Aattavisesham’ ritual

Some hardline Hindu outfits in Kerala agitating against the entry of women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala Temple have urged media outlets not to send women journalists to cover the issue as the Ayyappa temple is set to open today for a special ritual.

The ‘appeal’ was issued by Sabarimala Karma Samiti, a joint platform of right wing outfits, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Hindu Aikyavedi, ahead of the temple’s brief opening, which will be the second time after the Supreme Court allowed entry of girls and women in the age group of 10-50 into it.

The Samiti has been spearheading the agitation against the apex court order lifting an age-old ban on entry of women in menstrual age group into the temple, whose deity Ayyappa is said to be celibate. In its letter to editors, a copy of which was released to the media, the samiti said even the entry of women journalists belonging to this age group as part of their job was also likely to aggravate the situation.

“Recognising your right to support or oppose the devotees’ stand on this issue, we hope you will not take a stand which would aggravate the situation,” it said.

The doors of the temple will be opened today evening for puja on the occasion of “Chithira Aattavisesham” tomorrow, the birthday of last King of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.