An elderly woman on her way to Sabarimala Temple as police personnel stand on guard, in Pathanamthitta, Wednesday, Oct 17, 2018. (PTI Photo)
Gates of Kerala's famous Sabarimala temple opened on Wednesday for the first time since the Supreme Court junked the centuries-old ban on entry of women of menstrual age. However, throughout the day groups, who are protesting against the apex court's verdict, kept women off the temple premises.
Women journalists were heckled, their vehicles smashed and young female Ayyappa devotees turned back as hordes of activists of Hindu fringe groups besieged the road leading to the temple, abode to Lord Ayyappa, its eternally celibate deity.
Later in the day, Sabarimala Karma Samithi called for a state wide bandh on Thursday in Kerala over the issue. The state BJP unit said it will suport the shutdown.
Top 10 developments:
1)Chaos and mayhem on the road leading from Nilackal, the gateway to the shrine, 20 km away, to Pamba in the foothills from where the devotees start the arduous 6-km trek to Sabarimala reigned supreme, as activists of fought pitched battles with police, leaving many injured and bleeding.
2) According to Kerala minister EP Jayarajan 10 state transport buses were vandalised by the protesters. Several devotees from neighbouring states were thrashed, he said. Jayarajan accused the RSS of attacking devotees.
3) At least 10 people from the media, including reporters and photojournalists, were injured and equipment of several of them damaged, Jayarajan said.
4) Activist Rahul Easwar, a front-ranking leader of the protesters and votary of continuance of the tradition barring girls and women between 10 and 50 years from entering the temple, a custom which the Supreme Court overturned on September 28, was arrested at Pamba.
Police lathicharge on the protestors after they opposed the entry of girls and women of menstrual age into the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala. (Photo/PTI)
5) A group of BJP leaders held 'namajapa' (prayer) meeting at Pamba soon after police removed the members of tantri (head priest) family and Pandalam royals, the custodian of the shrine, who were protesting against the government's decision to enforce the top court's order.
6) An embattled Left Front government reacted sharply to the protests, with the state's religious trusts minister Kadakampally Surendran calling them "politically motivated".
7) Surendran, who reviewed the situation and preparations for the three-month-long Mandalam-Makaravilakku-festival beginning November 17 at Sannidhanam (Sabarimala temple complex), said the government would tackle the agitation politically.
8) "The BJP-RSS are trying to create tension and destroy the peaceful atmosphere in Kerala for political gain. We know the agenda of the RSS and BJP very well," he said, and insisted the government did not want any confrontation with believers.
9) BJP MP Subramanian Swamy Wednesday described the Sabarimala issue as a fight between "Hindu renaissance and Hindu obscurantism" as he asked people to side with the rule of law and uphold equality before law.
10) The Sabarimala temple will remain open for the 5-day monthly pooja during the Malayalam month of Thulam before closing on October 22.
WATCH VIDEO: Aaj Ki Baat with Rajat Sharma | October 17, 2018
