The Sabarimala season for 2019 will officially commence on November 15 and as many as 36 women have registered through the online booking facility, to visit the temple. The All India Sabarimala action committee, the RSS backed entity that was behind protests last year, has said that any attempts made by women to pray at the temple this season too would be met with resistance.
When the state general secretary of the Sabarimala action committee, N Rajan was asked if the organisation, also known as the Karma Samiti, has taken any steps or have deployed their supporters to prevent entry of women, he said, “We don’t have to tell what preparations have been taken, when they(women) come, we will see. Last time it was the devotees who protested not the Karma Samithi, they are protecting the temple. People from the Karma Samithi will not be there at the hilltop,”
Thirty six women had registered much before the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday referred the matter to be heard by a larger 7 bench judge.
According to reports, in 2018, following the lifting of the ban on women entry by the SC as many as 740 women in the banned age group between 10 and 50 had registered to pray at the temple. The police then collected the details of many of these women and requested them not to make the pilgrimage. However, the police did escort those women who turned up at the foot of the hill.
This time though, Devasom Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Friday stated that no protection would be provided by the state unless the women come up with a court order for protection.
In the previous Sabarimala season, over 10 women tried to enter the temple over a span of three months. However, just 2 of the women managed to reach the temple steps, that too only with police protection. The women would be heckled, attacked and their paths blocked by the protesters.
The Sabarimala season this year will begin on November 15 and go on till January 20 and Kerala police do not want to take any chances this time and intend to prevent any untoward incident. However, the rider by Kerala government that police protection would only be granted to women who come with a court order poses challenges to the police personnel on the ground.
Jaidev G, Pathanamthitta Superintendent of Police when asked if his force will be able to guarantee protection to women devotees without a court granted police protection, he said “These things can’t be foreseen, the security is arranged, we are well prepared to face any situation. Apart from the police bandobast, senior police officials also have been deployed they will manage the situation. The police are deployed everywhere and accessing the situation. If anything happens we will take action accordingly,”
The police department in a press release had stated that they have classified the two-month-long season into four segments. The first phase starting from November 15 to November 29 will have 2,551 police personnel would be posted in and around the temple complex.
The second phase would see 2,539 personnel on duty from November 30 to December 14, and the third segment, beginning December 15 to 29, would see 2,992 officials on duty.
The fourth and the most important period begins from December 30 till the temple is closed on January 21, which would see 3,077 personnel manning the temple.
The entire security arrangements are led by the Additional Director General of Police, Sheikh Darwesh Sahib.
The duty roster will see 24 Superintendent of Police (SPs) and Assistant SPs, 112 Deputy SPs, 264 Inspectors, 1185 Sub-Inspectors and Assistant SIs, 8,402 civil police officials manning the security arrangements.
The list also includes 307 women personnel including 30 women inspectors and SIs.