Insta
#SabarimalaCase: Hindu Organisations Call For Kerala Hartal Against State Government’s Stand
Devotees thronging the temple, Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala in Kerala, India (Shankar/The India Today Group/Getty Images)
A hartal has been called for in Kerala on 30 July by various Hindu organisations demanding that the state government rectify its stand in the Supreme Court favouring entry of women of all ages at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.
Last week, when the Supreme Court resumed its hearing on a petition questioning the ban on entry of women between the age of 10 and 50, the Kerala government submitted a petition favouring the entry of women.
A constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Deepak Misra, told the Kerala counsel that the State government had been changing its stance often and the current stance would be taken as final. “No more changes in your (state government) stand will be allowed,” the bench told the counsel.
Malayalam daily Madhyamam reported that the organisations that have called for the hartal are the Ayyappa Dharma Sena, Visala Viswakarma Aikyavedi, Sri Ram Sena and Hanuman Sena Bharat. These organisations said that they would also stop women between the ages of 10 and 50 near the Pampa river from proceeding to the temple if the Supreme Court allowed their entry.
A group of women have said that they would wait until their menopause to go to the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple. On Wednesday (25 July), 90-year-old senior council K Parasaran, appearing for the Nair Service Society, told the Supreme Court bench hearing the case that the ban on women is not based on any caste discrimination and the eternal celibate (Naishtika Brahmachari) status of the deity was protected by the Constitution.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
