Women volunteers have reached Nilakkal, the gateway to Sabarimala Temple, by about 10 am today, October 16, to make sure other young women do not go to the Sabarimala shrine. Now, they are stopping the vehicles and giving awareness advices against the temple entry of women between the age of 10 and 50.
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These women volunteer were telling the media that if at all young women come and insist on going ahead to the shrine, they would not permit, come what may. They say, if police come to implement the Apex Court verdict, they can do so after killing them (women). They are not ready to compromise on the faith of lakhs of women for the sake of a handful of women. At the moment no police woman has been deployed there. The nata (main door of the shrine) is going to be reopened for the monthly pooja rituals tomorrow. Women belonging to RSS-inspired woman bodies like Bharatiya Mahila Morcha, Mahila Aikya Vedi, etc. have sent their volunteers to Nilakkal.
Meanwhile, the Thiruvithankoor Dewaswom Board (TDB) has indicated that no extra arrangements would be facilitated in Sabarimala. That means the Government does not arrange for separate toilets for women, deployment of police women, special security for young woman devotees, etc.
Even though TDB holds talks with stakeholders to find a way out to break the stalemate, Pandalam Royal family has organized a thousand strong two wheeler rally to Nilakkal. Rally is on the way. Now, the devotees hope that sanity will prevail and the Government would take bold steps to maintain the traditions.
