News Brief
Kerala High Court Allows Vijayan Government’s Global Ayyappa Sangamam Amid Allegations Of Politicising Religion
Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala.
The Kerala High Court on Thursday (11 September) cleared the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s plan to hold the Global Ayyappa Sangamam on 20 September, dismissing petitions that sought to block the event, reported The Indian Express.
However, the court imposed conditions to safeguard the sanctity of Sabarimala, the ecology of the Pampa River, and the rights of pilgrims.
A division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar ruled, “We find no reason to interdict the conduct of the sangamam.”
The judges added, “These directions are issued to guarantee that the event is undertaken in a manner that preserves the sanctity of Sabarimala, protects the environment, ensures financial transparency, and secures the rights, safety, and spiritual experience of ordinary pilgrims as paramount.”
The bench directed that dignitaries’ participation must not disrupt pilgrims’ facilities or spiritual experience. It ordered the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the shrine, to keep transparent accounts of expenses and sponsor contributions, subject to audit.
Petitioners had argued that the summit served political interests and that the TDB should not be drawn into such motives. In response, the Board said the conclave aimed to bring together religious scholars and devotees worldwide and project Sabarimala as a global pilgrimage hub.
