Sabarimala protests LIVE UPDATES: The women, who arrived in Pamba today, were not allowed to proceed further. (Express photo)
A group of women, who had arrived from Tamil Nadu in Pamba on Sunday morning to climb atop the hill shrine and offer prayers to Lord Ayappa, were forced to return after protests against their move intensified in the afternoon. While 11 women, all members of the Chennai-based ‘Manithi’ outfit, had arrived at the spot, only six of them were supposed to visit the shrine. However, the women could not go ahead as devotees began chanting hymns in protest.
The six women had carried the traditional irumudikettu which is mandatory to climb the ‘pathinettam padi’ (holy steps leading to sanctum sanctorum). The group, led by the outfit’s coordinator Selvi, had also insisted on police protection to offer prayers at the shrine. As the news spread, a large number of devotees thronged Pamba, about five kilometres away from Sannidhanam (Sabarimala temple complex).
Four transgenders, who were earlier stopped from proceeding towards the Lord Ayyappa temple citing security reasons, offered prayers at the hill shrine under heavy police security earlier this week. (Photo credit: PTI)
The women devotees agreed to return after it became clear that a large number of male protesters were determined to stop them from going ahead. The police have taken the group to Nilakkal and will transfer them safely across the border to Tamil Nadu.
Shaji Sugunan, Special Officer, Law and Order (Pamba) said, "Eleven women devotees had come to offer prayers at Sabarimala Temple but the other pilgrims stopped them. The women devotees have returned now. We can't use force. It might create a law and order problem."
The present two-month long pilgrim season began on November 16 and compared to the previous ones have seen an uneasy calm. The number of pilgrims have dwindled drastically and temple revenues have also dipped, IANS reported.
BJP leader Sobha Surendran continued to stage a sit-in hunger strike in Trivandrum to protest against the entry of women into Sabarimala Temple.
Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy told ANI, "Naxal-minded people are instigating women. Today, there is fear of a turmoil. I think we must take them to be troublemakers probably inspired by Naxal forces who hate Hinduism. Action should be taken by the communist government."
In view of the protests, the group of women pilgrims have been transferred to the guard room at Pampa. Visuals of them running away from protesters along with female cops were telecasted live across television channels. Large groups of protesters had assembled at different points on the way to the main shrine, to block the women. The women, in turn, told reporters that they would not return until they had darshan at the temple.
Alleging that police are not protecting the group, Selvi told news agency ANI, "We are here since 3.30 am. Police had said that they will provide us with protection but now they are not providing us with the same."
Thilakavathi, a member in the group, said they would continue the protest till they could offer prayers to Lord Ayyappa. "Priests of the local temple at Pamba did not cooperate with us and declined to get our 'irumudikettu' (sacred offering to the God) ready as per custom. So we did it on our own," she said, adding that more members of their outfit would reach the state soon to visit Sabarimala.
The women group reached Pamba by 3.30 am through the Idukki-Kambamedu route in Kerala-Tamil Nadu border today. Local television channels said they had to face protests at various places on their way but they managed to reach Pamba.
"Menstrual politics is at the heart of the Sabarimala entry controversy. By a majority 4-1 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the prohibition of girls and women between the age of 10 and 50 into the Sabarimala temple was unconstitutional," writes Vinay Lal. Read full piece here.
"Traditionally, there were no restrictions on the entry of women at Sabarimala. The ban on the entry of women between the ages 10 and 50 came through a High Court judgment as recently as 1991. There is no ritual sanctity or scientific justification for this restriction. While upper-caste households did observe menstrual pollution, for the tribal people, menstruation was auspicious and symbolic of fertility. Tribal families with women and children of all ages flocked to the temple until the Sixties. And there is archival evidence of upper-caste young women entering the temple till the Eighties," writes Rajan Gurukkal. Read full piece here.
Four transgenders, who were earlier stopped from proceeding towards the Lord Ayyappa temple citing security reasons, offered prayers at the hill shrine under heavy police security earlier this week. The Kerala High Court earlier this month appointed a three-member committee, vesting them with powers to oversee law and order and other problems faced by pilgrims during the ongoing annual season.
Kerala had witnessed massive protests by devotees opposing the entry of girls and women in the 10-50 age group into the Sabarimala temple since the Kerala government decided to implement the September 28 verdict of the Supreme Court permitting women of all age groups there. Over a dozen women have so far made unsuccessful attempts to trek the holy hills.
Hindu fringe groups in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including Hindu Aikya Vedi, have declared that they will prevent the entry of women in the shrine and that the group will be stopped at Kottayam itself.
The district magistrate of Pathanamthitta has extended the implementation of Section 144 till December 27. The order prohibits unlawful gathering and protest between Elavungal and Sannidanam.
Superintendent of Police Rahul R Nair, who is currently posted in Sabarimala to monitor the law and order situation, said the police force is aware of the visit. “We are bound to implement the apex court’s order. We will give them protection.” A senior police officer at Pathanamthitta district near Sabarimala said that the government has directed the police force to ensure there is no violence.
Stating that the group was assured police protection, Selvi said, “We contacted the office of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with a request for protection. An officer of the rank of deputy-secretary contacted us later and assured protection. We also had talks with the office of Kerala DGP. The Kerala police have promised to help us." Selvi also confirmed that the three activists in the group will not climb the 18 steps to the sanctum sanatorium as it could hurt the sentiments of believers. “But the other nine devotees, who have followed rituals ahead of the trip, will visit the shrine,” she said, adding “Our plan is to go to Nilakkal and Pamba first, and from there we hope to take help of the police to reach the shrine.”
The group of 12 women from Chennai had left for the hill shrine on Saturday evening. Led by 42-year-old lawyer Selvi, who is part of Chennai-based women rights organisation ‘Manithi’, the group, which includes three activists, met another group of 15 women from Kerala today before beginning their journey to the temple. Talking to The Indian Express before leaving Chennai, Selvi had said that 15 women will join their group from Kottayam.
Protests erupted at Pamba, the foothills of the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Kerala, on Sunday morning after a group of 12 women, below the age of 50, attempted to climb the hilltop shrine. The women, who could not go ahead as devotees began chanting hymns in protest, are now squatting on the road while police officials are holding with representatives of the outfit. Follow our live blog for all latest updates.