MHA asks Kerala Govt to ensure peace; tradition not taken into account: Bhagwat

Protesters blocked the entry of women belonging to “banged” age group in the Sabarimala temple for the second day even as the Centre asked the Kerala Government to ensure peace across the State following protests against the Supreme Court order allowing women of all age groups to enter the shrine. In an advisory, the Home Ministry said the maintenance of law and order, including providing security to women wishing to visit the temple, was the responsibility of the State Government.

Sabarimala Thanthri (chief priest) Kantaru Rajeevaru appealed to those involved in the controversy not to make Sabarimala a centre of conflict. He dismissed the alleged propaganda through the social media that doors of the temple would be locked if women in the “banned” age group reach the shrine. Asserting that he was a law-abiding citizen, the priest appealed to the women in menstruating age group not to climb the hills, hurting the sentiments of large number of Ayyappa devotees.

Protesters kept a hawk eye on the trek route to Sabarimala temple and made sure that women from “banned” age group did not dare to make any attempt to reach the shrine. After Wednesday’s violent protest and clashes, fewer women turned up on Thursday to reach the shrine.

Amid ongoing protests at Sabarimala, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also joined the issue saying the Supreme Court verdict has not taken into consideration the nature and premise of the tradition that has been accepted by society and has given rise to “divisiveness” in society. He said questions such as why only the Hindu society experiences such repeated and brazen onslaughts on its symbols of faith, obviously arise in the public’s mind and lead to unrest.

 “Decisions taken without considering all aspects and patiently creating mindset of the society will neither be adopted in actual practice nor will they help in creating a new social order, in tune with changing times and positions, he said  in his annual Vijayadashmi address, the last before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur.

“The situation arising out of the recent verdict on Sabrimala temple shows a similar predicament. The nature and premise of the tradition that has been accepted by society and continuously followed for years together were not taken into consideration,” Bhagwat said.

Meanwhile, a Delhi-based woman journalist of a foreign media outlet who trekked the Sabarimala hill was stopped midway by Lord Ayyappa devotees opposing the entry of women of menstrual age into the hill shrine. The journalist accompanied by her male colleague, a foreigner, descended the hills from Marakkoottam area in the face of mounting protest by the Ayyappa devotees.

The journalist later said she and her colleague decided to return after they were stopped by an “aggressive mob” which hurled stones at them. A stone hit her on the shoulder, she said.

Reporters of Malayalam news channels who followed the journalist to the hill shrine said the devotees shouted slogans “ladies go back”. Some even allegedly hurled abuses at her opposing her entry into the ancient shrine, the reports said. Police had thrown a security ring around the woman and her colleague. Local TV crew said she is in her late 40s. However, there is no confirmation regarding her age.

The woman told protesters that she was a journalist and she was on her way to the shrine for carrying out her professional duty. The police told her that they were ready to provide her security but she decided not to climb the hills further, police said. The journalist and her colleague were later taken to Pamba police station.

If she had been able to climb the hills, she would have become the first woman of the menstrual age group to visit the Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa after the Supreme Court order permitting women of all age groups to enter the shrine.

Six BJP youth wing activists were arrested at Nilackal for staging a protest in violation of Section 144 of the CrPC, which has been clamped in the area in view of violent demonstrations against allowing women in the menstruating age group inside the Sabarimala temple.

Police removed the slogan-shouting Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha members who launched a sit-in protest at Nilackal, the gateway to Sabarimala, soon after the BJP State president PS Sreedharan Pillai announced in Thiruvananthapuram BJYM activists would violate Section 144 in areas including Nilackal.

While being forcibly bundled into a police vehicle, State BJYM president Prakash Babu said not a single woman in the age group of 10 and 50 would be allowed to climb the hills which houses the temple.

Appealing to women of “banned” age group from entering the temple,  the Sabarimala head priest, Kandaru Rajeevaru  said, “   We have never said that the temple will be closed if women of the traditionally barred age group enter there.”

“   It is our duty and responsibility to carry out the monthly pujas and other rituals. We will not break the custom,” Rajeevaru said. He also said Sabarimala is a place where women are respected.

The second major deity at the hillock shrine complex is ‘Malikappurathamma’ a goddess.

“We respect the verdict of the Supreme Court. But, considering the sentiments of devotees and the tradition and rituals of the shrine, I humbly request you (young women) not to come to Sabarimala,” Rajeevaru said.

After the Wednesday’s violence and clashes, the Home Ministry on Thursday asked the Kerala Government to ensure peace across the State following protests against the Supreme Court order allowing women of all age groups to enter Sabarimala Temple. In an advisory, the Home Ministry said the maintenance of law and order, including providing security to women wishing to visit the temple, was the responsibility of the State Government.

The Kerala Government must ensure law and order and full compliance of the Supreme Court order allowing women of the menstrual age group to visit Sabarimala Temple of Lord Ayyappa, a Home Ministry official said. The State Government has been impressed upon the fact that it would be in direct contempt of the Supreme Court order if female devotees of any age are stopped from entering the temple, he said, quoting the advisory.

Another official said the Kerala Government, in its communication, has assured the Centre that the apex court order would be implemented and the law and order situation at the pilgrimage site was under control.