Thiruvananthapuram:The Supreme Court had perhaps least expected a progressive Kerala would turn its back on its momentous decision, ensuring gender equality and guaranteeing women of all ages to worship at the famed secular shrine of Sabarimala.
The vicinity of the temple lay in tatters and for the past two days the place resembled a battle-field. On Wednesday, following the arrest of 8 agitators the previous night, tension was palpable.
Goons mouthing choicest abuses attacked passengers, looking for young women devotees headed for the shrine. They vent their ire on journalists and their vehicles, obviously because they beamed to the entire nation the violent build-up and the police restraint to prevent a flare-up and deny an opportunity to rightwing forces to gain political mileage.
Most of the vigilantes took cover behind trees and pelted stones at the police. The police did not fire grenades or teargas shells lest it should escalate the tension and mar the pilgrimage season. By the evening, scores of police men and agitators were injured.
The government has tightened security across the state by deploying more police personnel following escalating protests by a section of Ayyappa devotees and a hartal called by Hindu fringe outfits against the decision to allow entry of women at Sabarimala temple.
Rightwing outfit, 'Antharashtriya Hindu Parishad' led by Pravin Togadia and the ‘Sabarimala Samrakshana Samithi', an outfit of devotees, have called a 24-hour-long hartal from starting midnight. Special security arrangements and patrolling have been put in place in various locations including Pampa, Nilakkal, Erumeli, Vandiperiyar en route to the temple, located in the central district of Pathanamthitta.
DGP Loknath Behera said 700 additional police personnel had already been deployed in Pampa and Nilakkal, the base camps of Sabarimala pilgrimage, to maintain law and order and ensure the safety of devotees proceeding to the temple. “At least 700 armed police personnel, 100 of them women, are already placed in various locations. A team of commandos will also be deployed soon,” he said. Behera also said anyone who blocks vehicles in the name of hartal would be severely dealt with.
