THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Selvi, the leader of a Tamil Nadu-based organisation called Manithi, has said that 40 women including her will enter Sabarimala temple on December 23 at any cost.

“Except one person in the team, all others are below 50 years. We have come to know about protests against young women’s entry in Sabarimala but our belief is that we shall be able to have darshan of Ayyappa,” she told Kerala Kaumudi.

“Unlike women who tried to go earlier, we are true believers and hence we are self-confident. We shall reach Pathanamthitta on December 23. We have sent a letter to the chief minister’s office and got the reply that the letter had been handed over to the department concerned,” Selvi said.

Selvi said a few women from Wayanad Adivasi group would also be accompanying them. They would be able to make protestors understand their true belief. People protest due to some misunderstanding.

“We all are observing vratham (penance). We were proud about the Supreme Court order and respite for many among us who were unhappy over the tradition that banned young women from entering Sannidhanam,” she said.

Selvi added that there would be 15 women from Tamil Nadu, five persons from Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka and 20 persons from Kerala.