Conflict
Despite court orders, women face protests entering Sabarimala Temple gates, force themselves in
Kerala’s famous Sabarimala Temple is all set to open on Wednesday at 5 pm after the Supreme Court of India struck down against the ‘violation of rights’ of Hindu women from ages 10-50 to practice their own religion and for having been denied entry into the temple by then Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra.
The bench, also including Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, also said that patriarchy in religion cannot be allowed to trump the right to pray.
Tensions have cropped up following the verdict, with Kollam Thulasi, a Malayalam movie actor, while sharing the stage with the BJP state president saying that those women who enter the Sabarimala temple should be ‘torn into two’.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned of “stern action” against those who prevent devotees from going to Sabarimala.
“We will ensure security to all. Nobody will be allowed to take law into their hands. My government will not allow any violence in the name of Sabarimala,” Vijayan said and ruled out any rethink of his government’s decision against seeking a review of the Supreme Court order.
However, attempts had been made by RSS workers and volunteers to stop the women devotees of ‘menstruating age’ at Nilackal to enter the temple by stopping cars and buses.
Over 500 cops have been deployed on the site to ensure that the movement of vehicles and devotees remain unaffected because of the protests.
BJP MP Udit Raj said that he was surprised to see that women themselves were stopping others from going to the shrine.
“I have seen the fight for equality, not for slavery and inequality. On one hand, fight against atrocities by men is going on in the nation and on the other hand, women are fighting against their own freedom & rights. It has happened for the first time in the world, it’s amusing – ‘Make me a slave, treat me unequally, we’re inferior to men’ – women are stopping women. What’s the point in this. I don’t know what’s happening in this nation,” he said, adding that it was his personal opinion.