Two women begin to climb up Sabarimala temple amid strong protests

Ernakulam: In a first, two young women have started climbing up the hill to Kerala’s Sabarimala temple under high police cover on Friday morning, erupting massive protests from devotees.

The journey of the women has given rise to fresh protests at the temple, where tension prevails over the last few days as devotees protest a Supreme Court verdict against the ban for women of child bearing age, which they see as between 10 and 50, in the temple.

One of the women climbing up the hill is said to be a devotee from Kerala, seen in television channels as wearing the traditional black dress of Sabarimala devotees and carrying a devotional offering called ‘Irumudi Kettu’ at her head. The other is Kavita, a television journalist from Andhra Pradesh, reported the website of The Hindu newspaper.

Television visuals show both climbing up the steep hills to the temple, a 5km trek from downhill, under heavy police protection led by Inspector General S Srijith. If successful, they would be the first to visit the temple after the Supreme Court cancelled the ban.

The attempt has made devotees to gather in bulk at Sannidhanam, the sanctorum, television reports showed.

The police tried to pacify protestors near the sanctorum. “We don’t have any intention to move forward assaulting you, you can sit down and peacefully protest. But we have the responsibility to honour not only your faith but also law,” said IG Srijith, according to a live telecast of events in a local channel. Srijith is leading a group of about 150 police officers for the safety of the women.

The situation could worry the government as it was about to hold a meet with the temple priests, in order to pacify the protests, on Friday.

The government wants the police to return with women, and has informed the police to not assault any protesting devotees in order to admit the two women. Of the two women, one is a journalist, and the is an activist from Ernakulam district in Kerala, as per local reports.

“The minister (Kadakampally Surendran, minister for temple affairs) has called the police and said Sabarimala is not the place for activists to show their strength,” said a person privy to the talks in the government, requesting not to be named.

“Our stand is clear. We don’t want to make Sabarimala a battleground,” Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran to reporters.

Both opposition Congress and BJP have hit out against the government. “The government has no job providing cover to activists. It should maintain peace at Sabarimala,” said Congress opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala.

“These are innocent devotees who are protesting. The government should take action against the police officers,” said BJP Kerala president Sreedharan Pillai.

Meanwhile, the police is now making security arrangements for women to return. “The government immediately intervened when it learnt about the incident. We don’t belive Sabarimala is a place to conduct activism,” said K K Shylaja, health minister in the government.

In the meantime, a third woman has now reached the temple’s base camp in Pamba, requesting to be admitted. Mary Sweety, 46, homemaker from Trivandrum says she wants to visit out of devotion. She was taken to police control room in Pamba, and said she will wait there until security is ensured to climb up.

“Please let me also see. I love all Gods, Hindu, Christian and Muslim... I am 46 and I don’t know how long I’ll be able to trek. I have been a devotee for long, had come to Pamba Ganapathy temple last year,” she said to television reporters.