Kerala Govt’s Options Limited at Crucial Sabarimala Meet Today, Protesters Vow to ‘Guard’ Temple From Women
Vijayan will first hold an all-party meet, followed by meetings with representatives of the Pandalam Palace and the tanthri family as his government hopes to avoid a repeat of the violent protests witnessed outside the Lord Ayyappa shrine when it opened for six days in October.
Policemen try to reason with protesters at the Nilakkal Base Camp on October 17, 2018. (REUTERS)
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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will hold a series of meetings in a bid to build a consensus on the issue of women’s entry in Sabarimala on Thursday, a day before the shrine opens for the Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.
Vijayan will first hold an all-party meet, followed by meetings with representatives of the Pandalam Palace and the tanthri family as his government hopes to avoid a repeat of the violent protests witnessed outside the Lord Ayyappa shrine when it opened for six days in October.
All political parties, the tanthri family and Pandalam palace representatives have agreed to attend the meeting.
The government’s options, however, will be limited as it is duty bound to follow the Supreme Court order and facilitate the entry of women into the temple, while the opposition BJP and Congress, who are leading protest marches to save the “temple’s tradition and customs” are unlikely to relent.
Both the parties had given an indication of the stand they were likely to take at the meeting on Monday itself, soon after the Supreme Court agreed to hear review petitions against its September verdict in open court on January 22.
Welcoming the top court’s decision, Congress’s Kerala chief Ramesh Chennithala said the SC also understands the sentiments of the devotees and the Kerala government has to “act prudently now and not implement the decision during the upcoming two-month long pilgrim season."
The BJP, too, said the Supreme Court had taken a good step in deciding to hear the review petitions, and the party’s ideological mentor – RSS – has already warned there would be more protests if anyone tries to “break the rituals”.
Ayyappa Dharma Sena president Rahul Easwar on Thursday also said women who wish to enter the temple would have to go through them and promised to guard the temple for the next 60 days, that is the duration of the pilgrimage season.
The Kerala government has already said there would be no change in its stance as the Supreme Court has not stayed its order allowing women of all ages to enter the temple.
After the all-party meet, a meeting of the Travancore Devaswom Board has also been scheduled on Thursday to finalise the plan of action. "The board has sought legal opinion on the Supreme Court decision on Tuesday and we will discuss this at the meeting," board president A Padmakumar said.
Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran said the government would go by the Supreme Court order. "We hope a consensus could be evolved in the all-party meet. The government will urge the other parties not to politicize the matter and create tension,'' he said.
Vijayan will first hold an all-party meet, followed by meetings with representatives of the Pandalam Palace and the tanthri family as his government hopes to avoid a repeat of the violent protests witnessed outside the Lord Ayyappa shrine when it opened for six days in October.
All political parties, the tanthri family and Pandalam palace representatives have agreed to attend the meeting.
The government’s options, however, will be limited as it is duty bound to follow the Supreme Court order and facilitate the entry of women into the temple, while the opposition BJP and Congress, who are leading protest marches to save the “temple’s tradition and customs” are unlikely to relent.
Both the parties had given an indication of the stand they were likely to take at the meeting on Monday itself, soon after the Supreme Court agreed to hear review petitions against its September verdict in open court on January 22.
Welcoming the top court’s decision, Congress’s Kerala chief Ramesh Chennithala said the SC also understands the sentiments of the devotees and the Kerala government has to “act prudently now and not implement the decision during the upcoming two-month long pilgrim season."
The BJP, too, said the Supreme Court had taken a good step in deciding to hear the review petitions, and the party’s ideological mentor – RSS – has already warned there would be more protests if anyone tries to “break the rituals”.
Ayyappa Dharma Sena president Rahul Easwar on Thursday also said women who wish to enter the temple would have to go through them and promised to guard the temple for the next 60 days, that is the duration of the pilgrimage season.
The Kerala government has already said there would be no change in its stance as the Supreme Court has not stayed its order allowing women of all ages to enter the temple.
After the all-party meet, a meeting of the Travancore Devaswom Board has also been scheduled on Thursday to finalise the plan of action. "The board has sought legal opinion on the Supreme Court decision on Tuesday and we will discuss this at the meeting," board president A Padmakumar said.
Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran said the government would go by the Supreme Court order. "We hope a consensus could be evolved in the all-party meet. The government will urge the other parties not to politicize the matter and create tension,'' he said.