Sabarimala row: Govt in quandary as faith conflicts with law

Reshma Nishant, 32, had been wanting to go to Sabarimala shrine for more than two decades. Hailing from a traditional Hindu family in Kannur district of Kerala, she used to watch the male members in her family embarking on the journey to the hill shrine religiously every year. But she was not allowed to go after she turned 10 as women of menstrual age were not allowed to visit the shrine to worship the deity who was said to be a naishtika brahmachari.

Reshma's wait ended last month when the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment, allowed the entry of women of all age group to the temple.

“This mandala vratham (an austere penance) is going to be different,'' she had noted on Facebook on the day the verdict came.

Her second post, however, ensured that all hell broke loose. In that, she had posted her intention to visit Sabarimala—the first woman to say so openly.

“I have decided to go to Sabarimala not to prove any point; but as a devotee. It had been my long pending dream which I never expected to become a reality. Thanks to SC,'' she said.

Reshma, an associate professor in IT at a self-financing college in Kannur, said that her decision has encouraged many women to come out of the shell and announce their wish to go to Sabarimala. “I was encouraged by the bold step taken by the Left government in support of women going to Sabarimala. It is the duty of the government to ensure that the women, who want to go to Sabarimala, come back safe. I hope the CM will keep his word,'' said Reshma, whose husband and father-in-law are active members of the CPI(M).

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan might not be aware of Reshma's decision. But he seems to have imbibed the spirit of the Supreme Court verdict a bit too seriously. “The government is duty-bound to obey the Supreme Court verdict allowing women into Sabarimala. We will ensure that both men and women are treated equally,'' he said in Thiruvananthapuram even as the state is witnessing widespread protests and rallies.

That his party and the government is taking too big a risk does not seem to have bothered the chief minister. The government is being attacked by all political parties including the BJP and the Congress despite the fact that the national leadership of both the parties have welcomed the Supreme Court verdict. Rallies are being taken out across the state by 'Save Sabarimala' forums with the active support of the BJP and the Shiv Sena and all these rallies are anchored on strong anti-CPI(M) sentiments.

Rahul Eashwar, the face of 'Save Sabarimala' struggle, says that they will ensure that no woman enters the shrine. “As devotees of Ayyappa, we cannot let it happen. They will enter only after stepping on our chest,'' he said.

This was echoed by many protesters who have hit the roads against the apex court verdict and the state government's decision to implement it.

Though Eashwar added that no physical force will be used to stop women, several women—even journalists—are being stopped even before reaching Pamba, the base of the shrine, till where women are normally allowed. There have also been reports of devotees scanning every bus and other vehicles passing through Nilakkal, another base camp, to check whether there are young women in it. Reports also claim a few suicide attempts by devotees.

Amid this, there are also reports of a few women activists planning their trip to Sabarimala. “There is a fear of the issue going out of the hands of the government machinery if activists and bhakts clash each other,'' said Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) chairman A. Padmakumar. TDB is the custodian of the temple.

Padmakumar, however, washed his hands of the matter saying that he did not expect any “true believer'' to come to the temple. “Only those who try to get some free publicity will come to the shrine. And it is not our responsibility to ensure the safety of publicity mongers,'' he said.

Amid all these hullabaloo, if there is a victim, it is the CPI(M).

“Handling issues related to faith is not one of CPI(M)'s strong points. It is a fact that being a party vowed by progressive politics, it cannot take any other position. But the CM and the party should have handled the situation in a more tactical manner,'' said a young MLA from the party who did not want to be named. He felt that the opposition, especially the BJP, is trying to create a wedge between the believers and the CPI(M). “Though the CPI(M) is no longer a party which opposes religion, it is easy to paint it as an atheist party,'' said the worried leader.

The Left government, sensing the widespread protest, did try to arrive at a consensus with the stakeholders, including the Panthalam royal family and the Thanthri family. But it fizzled out.

“The TDB is not respecting the sentiments of the believers. We demand that the government file a review petition,'' said P.G. Sasikumar Varma of Pandhalama Palace, who walked out of the meeting convened by the TDB on Tuesday.

The sanctum sanctorum at the Sabarimala temple opens only for the first five days of every Malayalam month as well as throughout the 'mandalam' and 'makaravilakku' festivals between November and January. On Wednesday evening, it will open for poojas of the Malayalam month of ‘Thulam’. It will remain open from Wednesday to Sunday for devotees to offer prayers.