Communist government seeks to dictate terms of admission in Sabarimala

Amid the ongoing controversy over the entry of women of menstrual age in the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala shrine, the Kerala government has informed the High Court that it can make provisions for women pilgrims of all ages to worship in the Sabarimala temple.

The state government has said that two or three days can be devoted to women to offer prayers. This proposal was moved by the Kerala government when the court was hearing a petition moved by four women namely- Reshma Nishanth, Shanila Sajeesh, Dhanya V S and Surya M.

The petition sought protection for women of all age groups to worship and offer prayers at the shrine besides facilities for smooth pilgrimage in the temple.

State Attorney K V Sohan said, “The suggestion for setting apart two or three days exclusively for women pilgrims came from the petitioners. Responding to that suggestion, the state government told the court that it was ready to consider that proposal. The court has not gone into the details of that demand at this stage; instead it sought report about the facilities for women at Sabarimala. It would be up to the Devaswom Board and the thantri (temple’s supreme priest) to take a final opinion on that demand.”

Meanwhile, another division bench ordered the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the shrine, not to divert funds to the state government without prior permission of the court. The bench of Justices P R Ramchandra and N Anil Kumar issued this order wherein it was clear that TDB wanted to provide food and accommodation to the police.

The efforts that Kerala government lays down to make a provision are against the will of the majority. They have demeaned and throttled the sentiments of people from Hindu community. The Kerala government did never expect such an outburst and uproar from people in support of keeping the tradition at Sabarimala shrine intact.

Women, in large numbers, have come out in support of the tradition which has been practiced at the shrine for long. People have been in favour of maintaining the sanctity of the holy place and thus are protesting against government’s stand.

Earlier, the Communist government in Kerala did not give heed to the demands of Bhagwan Ayyappa devotees and added insult to their injuries. This government further went on to amend the sub-section (2) of Section 29 of the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act (1950). The section had made it mandatory that only Hindus could be appointed on the Travancore Devaswom Boards (TDB), but now the amendment done by the state government has paved the way for the appointment of non-Hindus in Travancore Devaswom Boards.

Hindu temples are not the properties of other religions and people from other religions have no right to run Hindu temples. The Kerala government, in order to project itself as the flag bearer of secularism, is actually playing with the religious sentiments of the Hindus. This is part of a concerted effort of the state to take over the Hindu temples. The Kerala government’s recent amendment is clear cut interference in the matters of Hindu religion. It is a violation of fundamental rights of Hindus to practice their religion according to their wish. The Kerala government has been trying their level best to bring the management of Hindu temples under their control. In Kerala, Devaswom Boards in the State which administer the temples ideally should have believers as their members but the communists have appointed their own leaders in the administration who are atheists. Travancore Devaswom Board chief A Padma Kumar is also a CPM leader.

It seems that the places of Hindu worship has only been targeted and this an act of clear cut intervention on the part of government. Sentiments of people from Hindu community on continuous basis are being subjugated by the Kerala government and this does not seem to be stopping.