Sabarimala women entry issue: Govt takes 'U-turn', says Sabarimala traditions must be protected; to inform Supreme Court today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The LDF government has changed its stand and moved towards supporting the protection of traditional practices at Sabarimala Temple. With the decision to inform the Supreme Court of India about this stand, the government led by Pinarayi Vijayan appears to have shifted towards the position of devotees who oppose the entry of young women into the temple. The Travancore Devaswom Board had earlier decided to inform the court of a similar stand.

A special cabinet meeting held on Friday approved the Devaswom Board’s position with the consent of the LDF and the state secretariat of the CPM. The Supreme Court had asked all parties to submit their written arguments before the 14th of this month. The new decision will be submitted to the court today, and hearings in the case are scheduled to begin on April 7. Earlier, the state government had argued that there was no valid basis for restricting women and that women of all ages should be allowed to enter the Sabarimala temple.

The nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court is currently considering seven legal questions related to religion and women’s rights in various cases. The court has clarified that the larger bench’s role is not to deliver a verdict on the review petitions in the Sabarimala case, but to answer the legal issues involved.

The petition seeking entry of women into the temple was originally filed by the Indian Young Lawyers Association. The association has argued that the earlier Supreme Court verdict allowing women’s entry should be upheld.

Devaswom Board’s stand
The Travancore Devaswom Board will also inform the Supreme Court that it opposes the entry of young women into Sabarimala. At a board meeting held on March 2, it decided that the traditional customs followed at the temple for many years should continue.

The board has prepared an affidavit explaining its reasons. Officials said the board was formed mainly to protect temples and their customs. The affidavit will also state that the board has never officially supported the entry of young women. It will clarify that the position presented in 2020 was the personal view of the lawyer appointed by the board. Board member K. Raju said a lawyer has been assigned to present the affidavit requesting that the traditional practices related to women’s entry be maintained.

Political context
The change in the government’s stand is widely seen as a political move ahead of the upcoming elections, aimed at keeping devotees on the side of the ruling front. On September 28, 2018, the Supreme Court had allowed women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple. When review petitions were later filed against the verdict, the Kerala government had supported the judgment.

At that time, the Chief Minister had even corrected the then Devaswom Board president A Padmakumar for opposing the verdict. The government also supported the decision through campaigns such as the “Women’s Wall” and renaissance initiatives.

The CPM stands with believers on the women's entry issue. The party has not changed its stand that temple traditions should be protected. It is standing firm on the affidavit submitted earlier.
-MV Govindan
CPM state secretary