While arguments are flying thick and fast about the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) altering its stance on women’s entry into Sabarimala temple when the Supreme Court took up the review petitions for hearing on Wednesday, a resolution passed by the board on November 11 clearly states that it had approved the Supreme Court verdict and decided to implement it.
A copy of the resolution accessed by The Hindu on Friday said that any verdict of the Supreme Court was law of the nation and the TDB was legally obliged to accept it. Hence, the board was proceeding in line with the verdict and taking steps to provide maximum facilities to women devotees.
The resolution said the board had discussions on the petitions filed post-verdict. When the case of women of child-bearing age entering the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple was taken up, the present board stuck to the stance of the board headed by former president Prayar Gopalakrishnan. Though the present board decided to explain its stance before the Supreme Court, it could not due to lack of time, the resolution said.
Board sources said the debate that the board had shifted its stance on women’s entry was unfounded. The board had only decided to seek more time to better the infrastructure facilities at the flood-hit Pampa and the trekking path to facilitate smooth pilgrimage for women.
The board had elicited the services of Devaswom Recruitment Board chairman M. Rajagopalan Nair for filing a petition seeking time to implement the verdict before the Mandalam and Makaravilakku festivals.
Mr. Rajagopalan Nair clarified that the board’s counsel appeared in the Supreme Court on Wednesday as respondent in the case and not to argue for the petition seeking time since it was infructuous. The board being a constitutional entity, it could not shirk its responsibility to implement the verdict and this was resolved in November itself. “Allegations of the board duping the faithful are baseless, Mr. Nair said.
