In the wake of the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala, which lifted the ban on the entry of women of menstruating age into the Ayyappa shrine, Hindu organisations are holding marches across Kerala in protest.
The protestors want to protect the ‘Ayyappa Dharma’ and say they will continue fighting against systems and laws that plan on destroying the ‘treasured age-old customs and traditions at Sabarimala’.
‘Impractical’ to Allow Women
The Pinarayi Vijayan administration has told that accommodating women at the Ayyappa temple is "impractical".
"Worshippers have to wait for eight to ten hours in long queues for darshan, and women devotees should also be prepared for the same. We cannot do anything. Only those who are prepared to wait for hours in long queues should come here," said Minister for Co- Operation, Tourism and Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran, as quoted by NDTV.
He claimed that if there are separate queues, then that could result in women being separated from their families, which was not advisable.
Meanwhile, the government is planning to bring in facilities like separate washrooms, CCTV cameras, female police personnel and bathing areas. They are likely to introduce digital booking facilities to keep a control on the crowd as well.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan chaired a high-power meeting discussing the various arrangements to be made.
Voice of Dissent Gets Louder
A few activists, rallying under the banner of Sabarimala Protection Council, blocked traffic in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, resulting in mild tension. In Kochi, the protesters gathered on the National Highway at Vyttila, reported The Hindu.
One of the women in the protests strongly condemned the order. "We don't want to go the temple. The verdict is quite saddening for us, it has even put us under mental stress. We won't be able to see women entering the temple. We will seek support of all Hindus to resist the entry of women,” says Suresh Kumari to The News Minute.
Hundreds of Ayyappa devotees, including women, held the ‘Naamajapa Yatra’, organised by the Pandalam Palace.
The Pandalam Royal family, who still have the rights over the rituals conducted in Sabarimala, said they would soon file a review petition against the verdict.
“Sabarimala was the family temple of Pandalam royal family and we handed it over to the government. The court has not fully analysed the situation in Sabarimala. The verdict has insulted the faithful.”RR Varma, Pandalam Royal Family to The Wire
An agitating woman from Kottayam even poured petrol over herself demanding that Hindus be protected. She was taken away by police, and was reportedly sent to a hospital, reported The News Minute.
Meanwhile, scores of people, led by Rahul Easwar's Ayyappa Dharma Sena and other Hindu groups, walked from the Hanuman temple in East Fort to the Rakthasakshi Mandapam.
Easwar asked the gathering to take a pledge. "We respect the Supreme Court. We will not stop the feminists and other women who come to the temple with our hands. We will not push them. But prepare yourselves for they can only go to inside temple by stomping our hearts. We should be there on 17th evening when the temple opens," reported The News Minute.
Political Parties Take the People’s Side
Meanwhile, the Kerala BJP has asked the government to bring an ordinance to restore the pre-judgment situation, similar to what Tamil Nadu did with ‘Jallikattu,’ reported The Hindustan Times.
The BJP and the Sangh Parivar affiliates have called for a meeting on 8 October to discuss and file a review petition in the Supreme Court. The BJP is blaming the state government for making arrangements in accordance with the judgment, and not paying attention to devotees’ bodies, temple tantri (supreme priest) and others.
“In Kerala, a majority of women have made it clear they have no plan to gatecrash the temple. Communists are known atheists and in the name of court, they are stifling popular sentiments. The government will face stiff resistance if it moves unilaterally.”PS Sreedharan Pillai, BJP State President to The Hindustan Times
Ravi R Unnithan, Convenor of the Kerala State Committee of the Aam Aadmi Democratic Movement (AADM), told The News Minute, “It’s not just the Malayalis who go to Sabarimala. It is important to note that many of the men who are Ayyappa believers from other states, once they wear the chain which marks the beginning of the vow, they do not even eat the food cooked by the women of the house. That shows how pure the practice is and how the verdict of the SC destroys the purity of the temple.’
Social Media Roars
Since the minute the judgment was passed, several have taken to social media giving reasons why this judgment is a disrespect to Hindu traditions and how ‘false ideas’ of equality for all was breaking down their age-old system of beliefs.
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