On September 28, 2018, the Supreme Court delivered a historic verdict permitting women in the age group of 10 to 50 to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.
Earlier, only girls below the age of 10 and women above the age of 50 — who were not menustrating — were allowed to worship at the Ayyappa shrine in south Kerala.
Soon after the judgment, large-scale protests erupted in the Sabarimala area as some women devotees belonging to the traditionally ‘barred’ age group tried to make their way to the temple.
Despite police protection, these women could not enter the shrine.
Meanwhile, the police are waiting for instructions from seniors. “It’s a sensitive issue and we are waiting for instructions.
In the past, the chief priest of the temple had told the Kerala government that he would shut down the temple if there was any breach of tradition. “The Kerala Chief Minister had given a fitting reply that the temple is not a petty shop owned by the chief priest.
Kalimuthu, a protester denied the allegations. The court should not have interfered in this. Let’s see what the top court will say when it hears the review petition in January.
Both the national parties – the BJP and the Congress – are on the same page on the Sabarimala issue. Though the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan government says, it’s committed to enforce the Supreme Court order, many claim the state’s actions doesn’t reflect its determination as it’s worried about the impact on the vote bank.
Cops Should Back Off If They Can’t Take Us To Shrine: Sabarimala Woman
