For the past few days, God’s own country Kerala is facing turbulence on the Sabarimala temple entry controversy with the chorus growing against the Supreme Court judgment that lifted the ban on entry of women between 10 and 50. With the Lok Sabha polls months away, the issue has become political. It is not only a fight for gender justice but also involves legal disputes and religious faith. All this is happening in a state known for its 100 per cent literacy, matriarchy and its achievements in other areas.
While the ruling LDF insists that it is only enforcing the Supreme Court order, opponents are accusing the government of ignoring the sentiments of the devotees. Influential socio-religious organizations such as the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) have also jumped in with their own political games.
Though Hindus form a majority of Kerala’s 35 million population, the state is also home to millions of Muslims and Christians. While the state has been alternating between the Congress-led UDF and the CPI-M led LDF for decades, the BJP has been trying hard to grab some space in the state. Finding that hardcore, right-wing stances have not helped it gain a foothold, the BJP is now pitching faith against law.
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Nestled in the Western Ghats in Pathanamthitta district, about 3000 feet above sea level, the Ayyappan temple attracts about 50 million devotees annually in the Malayalam month of Vrischika – the only time when the temple remains open continuously for 61 days. The devotees visit after observing brahmacharya for 41 days. They live a celibate life, sleep on the floor and follow a strict vegetarian diet during the 41-day ‘vrath’ period.
Even after the Apex court verdict on September 28, when the traditional puja at the temple began on October 16, women have not been able to enter so far because of the agitation. The state government had more than adequate warning as various right-wing groups and political parties like the Shiv Sena and the BJP had announced they would obstruct women.
Though all parties including the Congress and the BJP had welcomed the verdict, they are indulging in double speak now. Making the state government their common enemy, they have hit the streets accusing the LDF government of trying to force the Travancore Devaswom Board to implement its political agenda at Sabarimala. In the meanwhile the temple board has gone to the court with a review petition. Not lagging behind in playing politics, the ruling LDF has alleged that the two national parties were holding hands for political benefits. As of now, the LDF has a definite stand that law should be above faith.
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Bowing to pressure from its local unit, the BJP lost no time in converting the statewide ‘namajapa yatras’(prayer processions) into protests against the verdict. Now that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has condemned the Apex court order, describing it as a “brazen onslaught on (Hindu) symbols of faith”, which had led to “unrest, turmoil and divisiveness”, the BJP will intensify the protests. The party has chosen faith over gender justice.
The Congress, which feared it was slowly losing ground to the BJP in Kerala, also did a volte-face. While welcoming the verdict initially, it is now toeing a soft Hindutva line. Congress President Rahul Gandhi asserts that the government should wait for the outcome of the judicial review.
The Chief Minister has everything to lose. If he forcefully enforces the SC order, claiming customs are there to be broken, he risks antagonizing a large section of Hindus – exactly what the BJP and the Congress want. If he lets the protesters have their way, he loses the secular liberal image. Either way it is risky. Tasked with implementing the verdict, the LDF is at risk of losing votes from the protesting Hindu believers. While Ayyappa devotees roar ‘Over my dead body’, Christian and Muslim priests have joined the protests fearing that if they don’t do so, it will be their turn next.
What about the women in Kerala around whom the whole issue revolves? They are divided. One section supports it, another opposes it while the third is adopting a ‘wait and watch’ attitude.
The question is whether the courts should interfere in religious faith. The believers argue that even after its implementation, since devotees fear god, no devotee would defy the faith. No doubt the verdict ensures gender sensitivity but should law be above faith, they ask. The whole thing will subside only if the court reviews its position positively.
Will the court ultimately see wisdom in the words of dissenting judge Indu Malhotra who said, “In a secular polity, issues which are matters of deep religious faith and sentiment, must not ordinarily be interfered with by courts”? Or will it stick to the ruling? As a senior minister in Modi cabinet points out this verdict might not be implemented as happened on the 2016 ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, a traditional rural bull taming sport. Will faith win or will the rule of law prevail?