Trupti Desai, a women’s rights activist at the Cochin International Airport. (Express photo by Nithin R K)
As Sabarimala Temple opened Friday evening for a two-month long pilgrimage season amid tight security, activist Trupti Desai said that she has been asked by the state police to return to Pune, PTI reported. The activist reached Mumbai on Saturday early morning while protesters gathered outside the airport.
Protests have been on at Cochin airport since today morning following Desai’s arrival in the state in an attempt to trek the hills and pray at the shrine on Saturday. Speaking to IndianExpress.com on Thursday, Desai had said the Kerala CM and DGP would be responsible if she and women accompanying her were attacked. Kerala activist Rahul Easwar also joined the protests at the airport briefly and said that Desai would have to walk over the protesters to enter the temple.
Meanwhile, the Travancore Devaswom Board has decided to move Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its verdict. Police personnel have been deployed at the base camp in order to avoid violence as devotees throng Pamba.
Devotees at the Sabarimala shrine. (File/Express photo by Vishnu Varma)
"We've come here to protest. Trupti Desai should try going there after attaining 50 yrs of age and not before that. She won't be allowed to step inside the temple before that. There are so many devotees working towards this & stopping other women too," say protesters outside Mumbai airport.
Born in Nipani Taluka on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border, Desai’s family moved to Pune when she was eight. The eldest among the three siblings, Desai did her primary schooling in her mother’s village in Kolhapur. She was a home science student at Shrimathi Nathibai Damodar Thackersee College but discontinued in the first year due to family problems. Read full article
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought cooperation from everyone to ensure that the two-month-long pilgrimage season at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, which began Friday, passes off peacefully. The government's aim is to uphold the esteem of the Sabarimala temple, he said. 'Any untoward incident would only mar the shrine's reputation and the media must exercise caution and not publish 'misinformation that cause disturbances,' Vijayan said in a Facebook post.
Ayyappa Karma Samithi workers conduct a namajapa yatra to Trupti Desai's home in Pune as a protest against her attempt to go to Sabarimala on Thursday.
(Express photo by Pavan Khengre)
(Express photo by Pavan Khengre)
"People who indulge in hooliganism are not Ayyappa devotees. This protest is a sign that protesters are scared of me and this also proves my victory. This is a fight for gender equality and I extend my gratitude to all media organizations for supporting me. I'm not going because I'm scared but it is on the request of Kerala police citing security threats. I also thank Kerala police and I'll return to Sabarimala but without prior announcement," said Trupti Desai.
In an address to the media at Kochi airport, after being asked to return to Pune by the state police, Trupti Desai said, "Protestors threatened taxi drivers from providing us services. Hotel staff was threatened of damage to hotels if rooms were given to us. It saddens me to see that people who call themselves Ayyappa devotees are abusing & threatening us."
Sabarimala Karma Samithi protests in Kochi Airport #SaveSabarimala Proud of these Mothers and sisters pic.twitter.com/O1LDU3uNHC— Rahul Easwar (@RahulEaswar) November 16, 2018
Amid over a 12-hour stand-off with devotees and others, including BJP workers, at the airport here vowing not to let her proceed to the Sabarimala
shrine, activist Trupti Desai said police have asked her to return to Pune. The development comes even as the doors to the Lord Ayyappa temple opened for the "Mandala Makkaravillakku" puja. Desai said police officers held a meeting with her. "Police have requested me to return to Pune," she
told reporters. Desai said she will announce her decision by 6.30 pm.
Activist Trupti Desai, who is in Kochi en route to Sabarimala, says she has been asked by police to return to Pune. The activists have been held at the airport ever since she landed in Kochi to reach Sabarimala as the shrine opened. She faced a major protest at the airport by activists including Rahul Eshwar.
The Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the Sabarimala shrine, Friday decided to approach the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its order allowing women in the menstrual age to offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple. The decision was taken after discussion with legal experts and board members, TDB President A Padmakumar told reporters here, a day ahead of the commencement of the two-month long annual pilgrim season.
Kerala BJP secretary K Surendran told indianexpress.com that the protest will continue till she (Trupti Desai) go back. They will also try to bring more supporters from other districts if needed.
Police personnel have been deployed in and around Sabarimala temple as it opens at 5 pm this evening for the "Mandala Makkaravillakku" puja in the backdrop of protests witnessed during the previous two occasions when the shrine opened. IGP Vijay Saleem has asked police personnel to follow strict dress code at Sabarimala, while exemption has been given to cops at the holy 18 steps. Over 15,000 personnel, including women police personnel and 860 women civil police officers, would be deployed during the season, when lakhs of devotees from different parts of the country are expected to throng the shrine.
Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Twitter questions the eagerness of women to enter Sabarimala, says that they should rather enter villages where women are suffering from problems like domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse, hate instead.
An assembly of protesters outside the Cochin airport attempted to prevent activist Trupti Desai from exiting it to visit the Sabarimala temple tomorrow morning.
On November 16 evening, the Sabarimala shrine will open for the two-month pilgrimage season. Despite the SC ruling, no woman between the menstruating age of 10-50 have been able to ascend the hill and offer prayers at the shrine.
The erstwhile Pandalam royal family, associated with the temple, has told Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that there was no change in its stand on the rituals and traditions of the shrine and it was against the entry of young women. The views were conveyed during talks held separately by the Chief Minister with Sasikumar Varma and Thantri (head priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru.
Activist Trupti Desai said no taxi is willing to pick her up from Cochin airport, where she, along with six other women, have been ensconced since 4.30 AM when their flight landed.
Desai, however, asserted that she will not return until she visits the temple Saturday morning.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has announced plans to run 10 electric buses for pilgrims to travel to Sabarimala when the temple opens for the annual 'mandala' pooja festivities on Friday evening.
Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in an area) has been imposed in Nilakkal , Pamba and Sannidhanam ahead of opening of the Sabarimala temple, reports ANI.
Hindu Activists led by the local BJP unit protesting outside Cochin International Airport blocking activist Trupti Desai's exit (Express Photo/Nitin)
Anticipating protests, prohibitory orders have been issued at Sabarimala and adjoining areas. Meanwhile, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the Sabarimala temple, plans to move court to seek more time to implement the Supreme Court order. TDB president A Padmakumar said the board has taken an in-principle decision to approach the court.
Founder-president of the Bhumata Brigade, Trupti Desai, had also spearheaded the movement to ensure entry to women at the Shani Shignapur temple in Maharashtra.
When asked if she was scared for her life (for attempting to enter Sabarimala), Desai replied, “No, because this is a fight for equality. I’m an activist, but I’m also a devotee of God. I led the movement at Shani Shignapur because I’m a devotee. If God doesn’t discriminate among devotees, who are we to?”
Protesters outside Cochin airport continue reciting 'swami saranam ayyappa' chants as Trupti Desai and others remain ensconced inside waiting for police directions, 4 hours after they landed in Kochi. Desai, along with six others, will attempt to enter the Sabarimala temple Saturday morning.
Ayyappa, according to Hindu myths, is said to be the off-spring of Lord Vishnu (in the form of Mohini) and Lord Shiva who was born on earth and subsequently raised by King Rajasekhara of Pandalam. The deity of Ayyappa at Sabarimala is believed to be a ‘naishtika brahmachari’ (eternal celibate), the argument made for the non-entry of women of menstrual age. According to the myths, Ayyappa would offer darshan only to those who would undertake a rigorous 41-day vow of abstinence from sex, meat and intoxicants.
Maharashtra-based right to pray campaigner and founder-president of the Bhumata Brigade, Trupti Desai, has said that the Kerala government and the state’s police force will be responsible if there were to be an attack on her and her colleagues ahead of her visit to Sabarimala shrine in the state.
“I have never asked for any VIP security. I am constantly getting threats that I will be hacked to pieces if I set foot in the state, that I will not be able to make it to the temple alive," she told The Indian Express.
BJP member, M N Gopi, assembled outside the Cochin airport to block Trupti Desai, has warned that if she goes out, she will face "agitations along the way."
Maharashtra-based 'right to pray' campaigner Trupti Desai arrived at Cochin airport on Friday morning to trek the Sabarimala shrine on November 17. Protesters have assembled outside the airport, blocking her way. Desai has sought for protection from the state government as she, along with six other women of the Bhumata Brigade, attempt to reach the hilltop at 7 AM tomorrow