The Travancore Devaswom Board,which manages the temple, moved to SC saying that it cannot ensure the security of about 1,000 women have registered their names to visit the temple, against the “acts of hooliganism and assault” of protesters and certain political parties in and around the Sabarimala premises.
The board sought more time to implement the September 28 judgment of SC allowing women aged between 10 and 50 to enter and worship in the hill shrine.
It said even the ‘unprecedented’ efforts of the police to provide security to young women pilgrims, who have tried to enter the temple, were overwhelmed by the protesters. The women had to be escorted back to safety away from the threats of the protesters who are camping on the route to the temple.
The Board, also said the women devotees were even physically impeded from undertaking the pilgrimage by the protesters.
The police presence in the Sabarimala areas has not ‘discouraged’ the protesters from resorting to violence.
The board, which said it was in constant dialogue with the police authorities, informed SC that “the security of women being its primary responsibility and consideration, it is not in a position to provide that much additional facilities for them.”
“About 1000 women have already registered their names to visit the Sabarimala temple during the pilgrimage between November 16, 2018 till January 20, 2019,” the board’s application, filed through advocate P.S. Sudheer, said.
“The judgment (September 28) evoked strong response from certain people and political parties which led to severe law and order problems in Kerala and particularly in areas in and around the Sabarimala temple,” it said.
The board application comes even as a five-judge Review Bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi has agreed to hear 49 petitions filed against the September 28 judgment in open court on January 22. The Review Bench had specifically declined to stay the September judgment, thus, making it possible for women aged between 10 and 50 to worship in the Sabarimala temple during this season.
The board said the unprecedented floods which ravaged Kerala in August 2018 uprooted most of the infrastructure meant for the pilgrims in Sabarimala, at the base camp in Pampa and Nilackal.
It said a Central Empowered Committee (CEC) report to the Supreme Court on October 28 to stop “all construction activities” at Sabarimala, Pampa and Nilackal had impeded its efforts to make additional infrastructural arrangements for the increasing number of pilgrims. The board said it did not get enough time to make suitable arrangements at Nilackal, which is now serving as a base camp.