A Mumbai Mirror article written by journalist Gladwin Emmanuel has crossed all lines of Hindu hatred, as far as Sabarimala temple issue is concerned. The article seeks to extol the women who tried to enter the shrine amidst protests by thousands of devotees, mostly led by women, against the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the shrine. It also tried the inculpate the “Hindu right-wing groups led by the BJP” for opposing the apex court order and preventing women within the age group of 10 to 50 years from entering the shrine. Now, the Mumbai Mirror article has tried to project them as the “heroes” of Sabarimala.
Galdwin claimed in this article, that despite attacks on them, these women have not given up their fight and most of them are bracing to visit the shrine when it opens next month. It then goes ahead to detail the attempts by these five women to enter the shrine which holds great significance among the local Hindus and is clearly a highly sensitive matter. These anti-Hindu activists, which the Mumbai Mirror article is trying to glorify are S.P. Manju, leader of the Kerala Dalit Federation, Surya Devarchana who is apparently trying to connect the religious issue of the Sabarimala shrine with feminism and activism. Journalist Libi CS, Bindhu Thankam Kalyani who happens to be a Dalit activist and Rehana Fathima.
It is evident these anti-hindu activists had no spiritual endeavor in mind and their only aim was to hurt Hindu sentiments and enrage the already angered devotees. These ‘activists’ shockingly include a Muslim and a Christian, who have no devotion for Bhagwan Ayyappa and have no reverence for the thousand year old, harmless tradition. These women are trying to propagate that there is some sort of a misogynist tradition at play which bars the entry of women to the temple. However, as opposed to this concocted notion, the reality is that the women devotees do not visit the shrine in order to celebrate his celibacy. The question therefore arises is that when the actual women devotees do not visit the shrine out of their own freewill, why is it that a Christian, Muslim and an atheist women have this sudden urge of visiting the shrine ? It must not be forgotten that Sabarimala shrine is a Hindu temple and not a tourist spot or a battleground for advancing a manipulated notions of feminism or women empowerment.
What is important to mention here is that the Mumbai Mirror article has only further hurt the sentiments of and insulted lakhs of Hindus and Lord Ayyappa devotees. Galdwin Emmanuel has left no stone unturned in glorifying the women activists who visited the shrine without any feeling of devotion and wish to do it only to exacerbate the actual devotees. This is highly insensitive on the part of the columnist and seems like a dastardly attempt to further enrage the devotees by glorifying these women activists.
This is highly irresponsible and insensitive journalism on the part of concerned journalist. Galdwin Emmanuel seems to be acting more like a spokesperson of the Church/ Communists and anti-Hindu lobby, than being a professional journalist. Taking such gross and insensitive stance is both condemnable and inexcusable. Mumbai Mirror must apologize unconditionally for insulting Hindus and hurting their sentiments. Strict action must also be taken against the journalist, for hurting Hindu sentiments arising out of the intrinsic traditions and faith about the Sabarimala temple and Bhagwan Ayyappa. He must be sacked with immediate effect and admonished for crossing the line.