The State government’s bid to hold an all-party meeting on the eve of the Mandalam-Makaravilakku season has kindled the hope of conflict resolution at Sabarimala by evolving a consensus among the key players for the smooth conduct of the pilgrim season.
The meeting on Thursday has been set against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s reiteration that its September 28 order still holds water and that it fixed the onus on the State government to implement the order on lifting the ban on women in the 10-50 age group at the Ayyappa temple in its letter and spirit. Which means that the government could not shy away from the responsibility of providing protection to any woman devotee seeking protection for having a darshan at the temple.
While considering the political, social and other ramifications of the order and the sporadic incidents that erupted at Nilackal, Pampa and Sabarimala last month and on November 6, the government would have to give due wieghtage to the legal implications on failing to implement the order.
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Abiding by verdict
According to Devaswom Recruitment Board chairman M. Rajagopalan Nair further agitations on the Sabarimala issue could well be alluded as a challenge to the verdict that is deemed equivalent as a piece of legislation passed by Parliament or an Assembly as per Section 142 of the Constitution.
Mr. Nair, who offers expert legal counsel to the Travancore Devaswom Board on the issue, said: “Be it the Sangh Parivar or parties such as the BJP, the agitators would be continuing their protest at the risk of the review petitions on the Supreme Court judgment that have been listed for open court hearing on January 22. The protesters could ill-afford to turn a blind eye to the fact that their agitation is against the Constitution.”
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The government, the TDB, political party leaders and members of the royal family of the erstwhile Pandalam kingdom and Tantris (head priests) would have to essentially weigh the legal aspects before evolving a consensus on the issue.
The government is likely to recapitulate that it would not take the lead or initiative for taking women aged between 10 and 50 years to the hill shrine and remind the meeting of its constitutional obligation.
The meeting is being construed as a positive confidence-building move and is expected to iron out a solution that would set the ground for a peaceful conduct of the festival, sources said.