Sabarimala temple in Kerala turned into a war zone as it opened its door for women aged between 10 and 50 years on October 17, following the controversial judgement of the Supreme Court allowing women of all ages to enter the temple.
As per several media reports, the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued a circular, dated October 16, addressed to Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu warning the governments to make adequate security arrangements at the Sabarimala Temple.
The advisory was accessed on Friday, shortly after two women made it within metres of the Sabarimala Temple in the morning but were forced to return after an hours-long deliberation between multiple groups.
The circular clearly stated that there should be no breach of law and order on October 17 when Sabarimala Temple in Kerala opened its doors to women of all ages. The circular even cautioned the state’s about the presence of Left-wing extremist (LWE) groups campaigning in favour of women’s entry into Sabarimala temple.
The MHA writing to the top bureaucrats of all three state’s had also warned that many devotees of Lord Ayyappa had planned protests on October 17.
The circular read:
“As per the information received, comprehensive security arrangements would be required at the Sabarimala Shrine on the date of its opening for monthly rituals on 17.10.2018, in the backdrop of the State Government’s decision to implement the recent order of Hon’ble Supreme Court to allow women of all ages to visit the shrine and wide-spread protests against the same from various quarters. Certain civil/women’s rights activists, Left parties/fronts and pro-LWE groups have been campaigning in favour of women’s entry into the shrine and actively using women to do so on 17.10.2018. While opposing groups/activists have threatened that they would not allow entry of women inside the shrine on that day.”
The Home Ministry in its advisory furthered cautioned that some Hindu outfits might organise protests on October 17 and may organise state-wide protests: “Hindu outfits plan to organise protest programmes on 17.10.2018 against Hon’ble Court’s order at Nilackal village in Pathanamthitta district and Erumeli village in Kottayam districts. Separately, Ayyappa devotees, Hindu outfits and certain caste-based outfits have been organising a state-wide protest against the Hon’ble court’s order. Participation in these protests has ranged from 50-3,000, including participation of a sizeable number of women. Hindu outfits have also organised a few protest programme in neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.”
Despite the MHA circular which was sent a day before the temple opened, Sabarimala temple turned into a war zone. Section 144 had to be imposed in parts of Pathanamthitta district where Sabarimala temple is located. This raises questions as to whether due cognisance was taken by the state governments of the warning given by the Home Ministry?
In fact, few people on Twitter could also sense the conspiracy contrived by the leftist cabal the MHA had warned three states about, which the state’s clearly ignored.
Women who have attempted to enter #Sabarimala temple-
1. Libi – Xtian, Atheist
2. Suhasini Raj – Atheist, Hindu hater
3. Kavitha Jakkal – Xtian
4. Rehana Fatima – Muslim
5. Mary Sweety – Xtian— InK (@_Inck21) October 19, 2018
Women who want to enter Sabarimala are Rehana, Mary & Libi
And some Hindu fools thought Sabarimala issue is about gender equality ?#Sabarimala
— suba shini (@subashini_AS) October 20, 2018
As the communist government lathicharged and pelted stones at the protesting devotees, questions were raised whether the Communist government of Kerala was more than happy to allow Hindu religious sentiments to be hurt.
Rubbing salt in the wound, the Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had made a controversial statement that certain customs are meant to be violated, hinting at the beliefs of the devotees of Lord Ayyappa. What further heightened the contempt of Hindu sentiments was when Kerala’s Finance Minister and member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Thomas Isaac took to Twitter to call all protesting devotees of Lord Ayyappa as terrorists.
Keeping up with the anti-Hindu stance the Communist government seems to be fostering, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechuri on Friday hit-out at RSS and said that the pattern of protest is similar to what was during Babri Masjid demolition. Stating that similar thing is being done here (Sabarimala), Yechury said, “It is an organized thing that the RSS is doing. RSS has lost the battle of not letting the gates of Sabarimala open, they even lost the battle that the temple shouldn’t open on time.”
