The arrival of more women activists to Sabarimala has further catalysed rightist forces opposed to their entry and signalled the start of a tumultuous and communally overcharged pilgrimage season fraught with potential threat to public peace in Kerala.
Senior police officers, who reviewed the pilgrimage situation on Monday, felt that the continued attacks on the Chennai-based women’s group Manithi indicated a new and more belligerent phase in the “save Sabarimala” campaign.
An amalgam of Hindu right wing outfits had attempted to waylay Manithi members in Madurai and at various points during their night journey to Sabarimala.
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Their cadres gheraoed the women on the way back home and hurled eggs and stones at a train ferrying them back to Chennai.
A senior officer said protesters seemed intent to stretch finite police resources to the limit by extending their agitation to State borders, railway terminals, airports, and other entry points.
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The State police also have doubts about the bona fides of some women groups who make a beeline for Sabarimala without notifying the police and informing protesters about their plans by announcing their itinerary and time of arrival in advance on social media.
Govt. priority
Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran doubted whether the episodes involving at least a few activist groups were a stage-managed ruse to re-energise the flagging “save Sabarimala” campaign spearheaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
He said the government’s priority was to preserve peace at Sabarimala. Law enforcers had repeatedly used conflict resolution as a policing tool. The government was convinced that an overreaction by the police at Sabarimala would be playing into the hands of forces that aspired to escalate the situation for possible political gain in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in May 2019.
Meanwhile, the police have asked officers to be watchful about possible disturbances to public peace in the countdown to the religious charged State-wide observation of Ayyappa Jyoti.
The Ayyappa Karma Samiti is organising the lighting of lamps and prayer meetings on Mandala Puja day on December 26 as a political counter to the Left Democratic Front-sponsored “wall of women for progress” on New Year’s Day.