A year after SC verdict, Sabarimala continues to create tremors in Kerala

Exactly a year ago, a verdict of the Supreme Court shook Kerala, one of the most literate states in the country, like never before. The verdict, based on the premises of gender equality, lifted the centuries-old ban on women of menstrual age from entering the hilltop shrine Sabarimala. And the state is still reeling under the tremors of that shock.

The top court verdict, which was declared on September 28 last year, made it possible for women in the age group of 10 to 50 to trek the Sabarimala hill and worship Lord Ayyappa who is said to be a naishtika brahmachari (eternal celibate). The verdict was on the basis of a plea filed by the Indian Young Lawyers' Association and five women lawyers who had sought a direction to allow entry of women into the temple without age restrictions. The 'Happy to Bleed' campaigners, too, had sought the court's direction on whether society should continue to bear with menstrual discrimination.

The verdict created a huge uproar in Kerala. All political parties, including the ruling CPI(M), welcomed the verdict initially on the grounds of gender equality. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the government would implement the order in letter and spirit. 

But what he failed to realise was that the ground was not ready for that.

There were huge protests all over the state with believers, mostly women, hitting the street. Sensing danger, both the Congress and the BJP changed their position and said that the sentiments of the believers had to be considered.

But the ruling party, especially the chief minister, stuck to their stand and started taking aggressive posturing on the issue. Vijayan termed the verdict as a victory of gender equality and equated it with renaissance. He even compared it to temple entry proclamation which had ensured the entry of lower caste people into the temples. Though there were difference of opinions even within the ruling party and the LDF, nobody dared to voice it strongly, sensing the aggressive take of the chief minister on the matter.

The verdict kept the state, which was yet to recover from a deluge that devoured at least five of its 14 districts, on the boil for months with protesters, supported by the BJP and other right-wing groups, camping at the entry of the temple to block women from entering the shrine.

Amid this, two women, Bindu and Kanaka Durga, who apparently became friends through a Facebook group meant for connecting women keen on going to Sabarimala, did manage to enter the shrine in the wee hours of January 2. There was a lot of uproar with believers blaming the Left government for ensuring the entry of the women. Many vowed to “teach the government a lesson'' for playing with their beliefs. 

In between, the Lok Sabha elections came and Sabarimala remained as the major poll plank. With both the Congress and the BJP attacking the government for “playing with the beliefs of the Hindus'', the LDF was found scrambling for excuses. 

Sabarimala played a major role in the elections with the LDF losing all but one seat. While the Congress emerged the biggest beneficiary of the controversy, the BJP, which found Sabarimala as a “golden opportunity”, failed to make any impact.

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said Sabarimala had played a crucial role in the Lok Sabha elections. “The public gave full mark to our posturing and punished the LDF for playing with religion,'' he said. He added that the party would continue to raise the issue in the coming elections, too. 

Meanwhile the CPI(M), stung by election debacle, started making amends in its stand. Party's senior leadership went on a home-visiting spree and tried to clear the misunderstandings. They tried to convince the believers that the ruling party was left with no option other than implementing the SC order. “We told them that we cannot play games like the Congress and the BJP do,'' said a state committee member.

He pointed out the results of the Pala byelection where LDF candidate Mani C. Kappan created history by capturing the strong bastion of the Kerala Congress (M). “It shows that the misunderstanding about the CPI(M) regarding Sabarimala is gone. They (voters) now know that both the Congress and the BJP were merely using Sabarimala as a ploy to garner votes,'' he claimed.

There could be some truth in that argument. Sabarimala is no longer a boiling issue in the minds of the voters despite the fact that a section of the Hindu community still has not forgiven the CPI(M) for their “progressive posturing”. But a lot will depend on the final verdict of the top court on the review petitions that will be taken up any time soon.

Sabarimala, till then, will continue to create tremors in Kerala.