Sabarimala: PIL filed before Kerala High Court to secure entry of Women

A Public Interest Litigation petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court seeking facilities for the smooth pilgrimage of women belonging to all age groups to Sabarimala Temple. The petition also prays that protection be provided to women devotees from the henchmen and protestors acting under the aegis of BJP and Congress leaders..Importantly, the petitioners, as a matter of interim relief, also seeks two days of exclusive entry for women of all age, after the removal of all agitators from the Temple premise and its surrounding towns..The Petition has been preferred by 32-year old Reshma Nishanth and three other women namely, Shanila Sajesh, Danya VS and Surya S, aged 29 , 32 and 20 years, respectively..Being ardent devotees of Lord Ayyappa, the Petitioners wish to offer darshan before him at the Sabarimala Shrine in view of the Supreme Court’s judgement opening the gates of the Shrine to all women group between 10 to 50. Reshma has even been taking Sabarimala vrutha and adorning the ritual chain and black dress, desirous to enter and worship at the shrine..The Petitioners therefore registered their names online for the pilgrimage to the Sabarimala temple. They received permission for the same on November 11, but they could not enter the Temple because of the protests and agitations to prevent the entry of women..Petitioners further stated that they along with their friends and supporters are being targeted and their homes are being attacked by the agitators due to their desire to worship at the Shrine..The protests which are being carried out against the entry of women inside the Temple, the Petition states, are “openly defying” the judgment of the Supreme Court..The Petitioners, therefore, seek a direction to the State of Kerala and the Travancore Devasom Board to provide adequate and sufficient protection to them to enter Sabarimala Temple “fearlessly and freely” to exercise and enjoy their fundamental right and religious right to worship..The Petition further brings to the notice of the Court that the ongoing protests, strike and agitations are being carried out under the leadership of Bharatiya Janta Party‘s State President and General Secretary, Advocate PS Sreedharan Pillai and AN Radhakrishnan, respectively..It also names Congress Leaders Mullappally Ramachandran and Ramesh Chennithala (who is also the Leader of Opposition, Kerala Legislative Assembly) as being at the forefront of the protests preventing the entry of women in the age group between 10 to 50 inside the Holy Sabarimala and its vicinity..The Petitioners have, therefore, sought a direction to be issued to the State Government to provide adequate protection from the above-named persons and their “henchmen and agents”, so that they can visit the Shrine “unhindered” and “undeterred”..Interestingly, Travancore Devaswom Board has already moved the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement the September 28 judgment in the Sabarimala Temple Entry Case, citing “practical difficulties”..Read the Petition.