KOCHI: Two years after it allowed two young women to visit Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple with police support following a Supreme Court verdict, the state government and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple, seem to have changed their stance on women’s entry to the hill shrine.
The portal launched by TDB in association with the Kerala Police for online services, like virtual queue for darshan, says that “females and other gender (trans) less than 50 years and above 65 years won’t be allowed for darshan.”
The government had earlier announced that children below 10 years and people above 65 years will not be permitted to the temple because of Covid restrictions. The TDB had argued before the five-member constitution bench of the Supreme Court in February 2019 that “it’s high time a particular class is not discriminated on the ground of biological attributes.”
The government had also opposed the review pleas filed against the September 28, 2018 verdict that allowed women’s entry at the temple. With this volte-face, the government and the board have returned to the previous UDF regime’s stance of preserving the age-old customs of the temple.
Sabarimala women’s entry row: Change in stance flayed
Responding to a query on the change in stance, TDB chief N Vasu said: “The portal is managed by the police department. The board has nothing to do with the guidelines and hasn’t taken any decision in this regard.” However, the guidelines have rattled activists. “The Left government has proved that it’s ahead of the rightwing forces in defeating reformation values.
This discriminatory decision is against the Constitution and exposes the double stand of the Left government,” said Bindhu Ammini, one of the two women who entered the temple on January 2, 2019. Hindu Aikya Vedi, which had launched a stir against the government’s decision to implement the SC verdict, said the board’s change in stance was only a political gimmick. “Basically, there is no change in CPM’s approach against the Hindus. As the local body polls are nearing, they fear a political backlash as the anger of the devotees is still simmering,” said Hindu Aikya Vedi general secretary R V Babu.