'We are ready to welcome women into the temple': LDF govt on SC's Sabarimala decision

Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Devaswom, also said that the verdict will be implemented based on elaborate discussions.
'We are ready to welcome women into the temple': LDF govt on SC's Sabarimala decision
'We are ready to welcome women into the temple': LDF govt on SC's Sabarimala decision
Written by:

As the Supreme Court on Friday pronounced its judgement that allows women of all ages in Sabarimala temple, Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Co-Operation, Tourism and Devaswom, welcomed the decision. “The Supreme Court verdict is historic,” the minister said.

After the judgment was announced, the minister said that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government welcomes the Supreme Court’s verdict on Sabarimala. "We are ready to welcome women into the temple," he said. 

“The government’s stand is that there should not be any form of discrimination, not just in Sabarimala but in any centre of worship. The state government had made its stand clear in the petition regarding this at the Supreme Court.”

Located at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Pathanamthitta district, Sabarimala is a shrine that allows entry to all irrespective of religion and caste, barring women of menstruating ages, between 10 and 50. However, the court’s verdict on Friday makes it clear that the ban on the entry of women is a violation of human rights.

“The verdict is such that one’s rights should not be violated in the name of faith,” Kadakampally said while addressing the media. The minister also said that how the verdict will be implemented, will be decided based on elaborate discussions.

“The public that has embraced a progressive stand, which goes ahead with timely changes in customs, will definitely absorb the verdict,” he added.

On Friday, in a 4:1 majority judgement allowing women in Sabarimala temple, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said that “religion should not be subjected to gender discrimination”.

Following this, social activist Rahul Easwar, who belongs to the Thantri family of the Sabarimala temple, said that he will file a review petition in the Supreme Court.

“We will go for a review petition after getting support from other religious heads,” said A Padmakumar, the president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), according to news agency ANI.

Rahul Easwar, president of Ayyappa Dharma Sena, was an intervenor along with the Travancore Devaswom Board.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com