In a bid to counter to counter the strong opposition against the Sabarimala verdict, the ruling CPI(M) has started holding ‘Vishidikaranam’ or explanatory meetings with women devotees to explain the government’s stance on the issue. This comes after the Congress, the BJP and other organisations in the State protested against the Supreme Court verdict.
The first of these meetings was held in Pandalam in Pathanamthitta and was inaugurated by CPI(M) central committee member PK Sreemathy, according to a Mathrubhumi report.
Apart from women devotees, volunteers at Kudumbashree, a woman’s empowerment programme, has also been included in the meetings to ensure equal justice to all women.
Responding to outcry from the devotees, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said that the government stood in solidarity with the believers and that it wouldn’t let violence be unleashed in the name of religion, he said. He also added that the government will not head for any confrontation.
The government is also gearing up to provide all facilities to women devotees when they come to pray.
The Devaswom Minister also accused the BJP and Congress of changing their stance only keeping the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in mind.
Meanwhile several statewide protests have been carried out in Kerala against the Supreme Court verdict to allow women of all ages to enter Sabarimala.
Independent MLA PC George began a fast at Erumeli, a town near the temple, on Tuesday to ‘safeguard’ the deity’s rights. Several other believers marched to the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram to pressurise the government into bringing in a law.
Devotees have also begun collecting signatures to submit to President Ram Nath Kovind.
Parties such as the Congress, BJP and a few Hindu organisations have taken out protest marches to ask for a review petition to be submitted in the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, General Secretary of SNDP (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam) - a community of backward Ezhavas - said tensions should not be created in the name of Hinduism.