Thiruvithamkoor Devaswom Board has made a U-turn from its earlier stand and has resolved to submit an affidavit before the Supreme Court opposing the entry of young women to the Sabarimala temple. The Devaswom Board, which met on March 2, passed a resolution in this regard. It stated that the traditions of the temple should be protected. In other words, the Board is correcting its earlier stand of permitting young women to enter the temple. It is a clear U-turn.
The Board said it stands with the devotees’ faith. Board President K. Jayakumar IAS (Retd) said there is no confusion regarding the protection of traditions. A fresh affidavit will be submitted before the Supreme Court. The affidavit submitted in 2019 will be corrected. Jayakumar said the Board has always stood for the protection of traditions. He added that the decision on whether to file a petition to change the earlier Supreme Court verdict does not fall under the Board’s jurisdiction.
When media persons drew his attention to the government’s 2018 stand that the Supreme Court verdict was progressive, Jayakumar asked whether the Board had to react to it. He said it is up to the government to clarify its position.
The Board chairman said a special budget will be created for the Sabarimala pilgrimage. Control over expenditure, avoidance of unnecessary spending, and prevention of revenue erosion are cited as the benefits of the special budget. Frequent advance funding will be stopped. Accounts will be audited immediately after the culmination of the festival.
Prima facie, the fresh decision appears positive. However, the driving force behind it is seen as the imminent Assembly elections. The CPM-led ruling Left Democratic Front is reportedly wary of a Hindu backlash, especially in light of the alleged gold theft from the shrine and the controversy surrounding the Global Ayyappa Conclave, which allegedly misused public funds.
If the words of the bureaucrat-turned-politician are to be believed, the centuries-old Sabarimala tradition of permitting only women below 10 and above 50 to enter the temple will be restored.
What Devaswom said in the First Affidavit to the Supreme Court
Devotees still remember how the CPM government allegedly misused the police force, led by a senior IPS officer, to escort women in police uniform to the temple in 2018 and 2019. Devotees across the state were allegedly subjected to police action while participating in peaceful Namajapayatra protests demanding the restoration of temple traditions. Women were also reportedly beaten. Vehicles were damaged. One devotee died in stone pelting. Thousands of people still face cases, and senior leaders have been named in hundreds of them.
Devotees now hope that sanity will prevail.
