Slamming the Kerala government’s decision to disallow women of the formerly prohibited age group from entering the Sabarimala temple till a larger Supreme Court bench decides the matter, activist Trupti Desai told The Quint that both the state government and the temple authority's actions are actually in contempt of the apex court.
What is the status of your plan to visit the Sabarimala temple, given that the Kerala government has decided to disallow women from the erstwhile prohibited age category?
Trupti Desai: I am going to visit Sabarimala some time after 20 November, haven’t fixed the exact date yet.
Nowhere has the Supreme Court in its November 2019 decision said that women aged between 10 and 50 years are not supposed to enter the Sabarimala temple. In fact, there has been no stay put on the 2018 verdict of the SC which allows women entry into the shrine. So, the Kerala government and the temple authority’s decision to restrict women is clearly in contempt of court.
“More than 300 women have already registered to visit the temple. I would like to remind the Kerala government that instead of restricting them, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that they receive adequate protection.”
“Through its actions, it seems that the government is currently trying to suppress the rights and voices of women.”
Desai is all set to visit Sabarimala in the coming days, even as the Kerala government stands resolute in its decision to disallow her and other women planning to enter the temple.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)