KOCHI: Dramatic scenes played out in front of the Ernakulam Press Club when Reshma Nishant and two other women pilgrims arrived for a press meet on Monday. They were greeted by the protestors with chants of ‘Ayyappa Saranam’.
The situation became tense after the protesters laid siege to the club and refused to allow the women to leave after the press meet. However, the police managed to rescue the women and send them away safely.
Reshma and Shanila Satheesh from Kannur and V S Dhanya from Kollam arrived at the Press Club to clear the air about various rumours doing the rounds about their agenda. According to a tearful Reshma, unlike what is being said in the media and social media, they won’t be trying to enter Sabarimala forcefully.
“What we want is a peaceful solution to the issue. We are not for any bloodshed or violence since that is not the way of an Ayyappa devotee. We will go to Sabarimala only with the support of all the believers. We will continue to wear the mala until we get a chance to pay obeisance to Lord Ayyappa,” she said.
She narrated the ordeal she and other women who have taken the decision to go to Sabarimala, have to undergo daily. “It has become very difficult to step outside my house. Whenever I do go out, the media is quick to promote it as my journey to Sabarimala. Recently, my house was besieged by media persons and protestors. All this is very distressing. We are being hunted like rabid dogs,” she said.
Shanila said, “We too are devotees. What we want is our right to pay obeisance to the Lord. It is our constitutional right. How can we be denied that? We believe our efforts will bear fruit only if all devotees back us.” The women said the press meet was a call to devotees to stop terming their devotion a feminist agenda.
“Other women devotees who are ready to visit Sabarimala are afraid to come forward since they fear for their lives,” she added.
According to Reshma, if the SC reverses its earlier ruling, they will break their fast. “But if not, we will continue our fast until we are allowed to visit Sabarimala. I have been observing Mandala fast for the past 12 years even though I knew I would never be able to go to Sabarimala. But this time when a chance has opened up before me, I will use it,” she said.
For a cause
Reshma Nishant and Shanila Satheesh from Kannur and V S Dhanya from Kollam arrived at the Press Club to clear the air about various rumours doing the rounds about their agenda
They said the press meet was a call to devotees to stop terming their devotion a feminist agenda
If the SC reverses its earlier ruling, they said they will break their fast. But if not, they will continue the fast until they are allowed to visit Sabarimala