The Sabarimala temple opened it to devotees today, after a day of protests against the entry of women into the Lord Ayappa temple. The protests turned violent, with several protesters clashing with the police near the hilltop temple. Despite heavy police security, women journalists were beaten and their crew attacked. Kerala Left-led government has called these attacks politically motivated violence.
Last month, a historic Supreme Court ruling lifted the ban on the entry of women between the age of 10 and 50 years. The trek leading up to the shrine has been opened to everyone. Four journalists from different media organisations were attacked, beaten up with sticks by angry protesters near the Nillakal base camp, some 20 kilometers away from the main shrine. Two women attempted the trek but were blocked by protesters. A 40-year-old woman and her family were heckled and intimidated as they walked towards the Sabarimala temple. Ten minutes into their trek, the family had to abandon their plans of praying to Lord Ayyappa inside Sabarimala.
Several devotees, mostly women, stopped and checked buses, cars and pulled out women asking them to go back yesterday. Kerala police has however ordered that anyone trying to obstruct entry will amount to criminal conspiracy and that heavy security will be deployed as the situations intensifies. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had, in a press meet yesterday, said that government will not submit a review petition and that they will ensure facilities to allow all devotees to go to Sabarimala shrine today.
Here are the live updates of Sabarimala temple opening:
"They tried to pull my 22 yr old daughter from all sides. Me, my father, mother in their 70s, police struggled to save her and reverse the bus. Who insults women like this. I am a Hindu too. I am still shivering",a father tell @ndtv , how he saved his daughter today. #sabarimala pic.twitter.com/yyQP77YtXC
- Sneha Koshy (@SnehaMKoshy) October 17, 2018
#Blog: At Sabarimala, they turned their anger at us, women journalists - by @SnehaMKosh https://t.co/gEIpQhHtGU pic.twitter.com/hL8xoAMRwH
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2018
- A group of BJP leaders held 'namajapa' (prayer) meeting at Pamba. BJP state general secretaries, K Surendran, MT Ramesh and Shobha Surendran were among those present
- State Congress working president K Sudhakaran led his party workers in a protest at Nilackal to express solidarity with Ayyappa devotees
- Activist Rahul Easwar has been arrested from Nilakkal base camp and a non-bailable FIR has been registered against him
- He is kept at Pamba police station
- "I didn't hit any woman there. I was moving to the other direction. It's a vendetta against me," Rahul Easwar tells news agency ANI
NDTV stopped from covering protests near Kerala's #SabarimalaTemple -- reporter Sneha Mary Koshy and cameraperson SP Babu heckled and asked to leave.
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2018
Read more here: https://t.co/2icMRefVha#Sabarimala #Kerala pic.twitter.com/FgHc8tLXgv
Armed, masked mobs today targeted women mediapersons who had gone to cover the protests near Kerala's Sabarimala temple. At least four media organisations were targeted -- in some cases in presence of the police.
- When police was taking cover from the protesters, NDTV reporter Sneha Mary Koshy and camera person SP Babu tried to film the incident and were attacked by angry protesters.
- NDTV Camera person SP Babu's camera was held up and the protesters did not let it go.
- NDTV was stopped from covering the protests midway during live telecast -- reporter Sneha Mary Koshy and cameraperson SP Babu were heckled and asked to leave. Their camera was snatched.
To reach Kerala's #SabarimalaTemple, pilgrims trek a 4.6 km route through a dense forest path from the Pamba base camp.
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2018
Tensions are running high in Kerala as the temple gates will be opened to women of all ages for the first time today.
Track updates: https://t.co/O6M4F9wG5Z pic.twitter.com/AIR0S8fuZH
Journalists being attacked. Media vehicle of @CNNnews18 attacked,media vehicle of @republic attacked. @PoojaPrasanna4 beaten with sticks, Saritha Balan of @thenewsminute
- Sneha Koshy (@SnehaMKoshy) October 17, 2018
roughed up, kicked forced out of bus. All this with police around Nilakkal #Sabariamala @ndtv pic.twitter.com/diQo40PhyY
Two women, one from Kerala and another from Andhra Pradesh, were among the first women to begin their trek to the Sabarimala temple in Kerala on its opening day, but they were stopped by protesters on their way. They managed to walk only a few hundred metres from the base camp of the hilltop temple.
Tribals living in the hills around Sabarimala alleged that the government and the Travancore Devaswom Board were trying to "demolish centuries-old customs" by allowing women between the ages of 10 and 50 to enter the famous Sabarimala temple.
#WATCH: Women protest in Nilakkal against the entry of women in the age group of 10-50 to #Sabarimala temple. #Kerala pic.twitter.com/GuxDZo0R7G
- ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2018
With the #SabarimalaTemple set to open today to women of all ages, devotees opposing the entry were dispersed by the police.
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2018
Read more here: https://t.co/2icMRexwFK
Track LIVE updates here: https://t.co/O6M4F9f5er pic.twitter.com/kMeXl0KWg7
"7 protesters arrested after yesterday's law and order problem in Nilakkal.Our force took time to reach here. Police is fully deployed and capable of handling every protest. All devotees will be allowed safe passage to #Sabarimala. " IG @ManojAbrahamIPS
- Sneha Koshy (@SnehaMKoshy) October 17, 2018
#Kerala @ndtv pic.twitter.com/3fbprV5Ixj
Kerala's Sabarimala temple is scheduled to open today for devotees, in the backdrop of a controversial Supreme Court judgement, which lifted a centuries-old ban on girls and women of menstruating age from visiting the temple.
- We want to adopt a Gandhian protest where thousands of people will be laying down on the road. If people want to intrude in our belief, they should do so by stepping on our chests. This is a cry and plea for respecting our sensitivities.
- Our mothers, grandmothers and sisters are all protesting, praying and fasting across 12 states.
- We ask for 5 days as we are to go to the Supreme Court on 22nd of the month. We are going to guard our shrine.
Kerala's Sabarimala temple is scheduled to open today for devotees, in the backdrop of a controversial Supreme Court judgement, which lifted a centuries-old ban on girls and women of menstruating age from visiting the temple. On Tuesday, devotees took to the streets to "screen" vehicles and prevent girls and women between the ages of 10 and 50 from visiting the holy Hindu shrine.
- Hundreds of extra police were on high alert on Wednesday ahead of the scheduled opening of the Sabarimala shrine.
- Tribals continue to stand along the route to the temple so as to prevent entry of women
- Devotees had yesterday checked cars and buses along the route and at Nilackal, the base camp below the site, preventing women from proceeding
- Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said no one would be allowed to block devotees from proceeding to Sabarimala and that "Stern action will be taken against anyone who prevents devotees from going to Sabarimala".
- The temple opening is scheduled for 5 pm this evening
Heavy security deployed near Nilakkal, the base camp of #SabarimalaTemple, as the Kerala temple will open its doors to women of all age groups for the first time after the Supreme Court ruling.
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 17, 2018
Track LIVE updates here: https://t.co/O6M4F9wG5Z
(📸 credit: ANI) pic.twitter.com/HARM3ya8mW
Travancore Devaswom Board meets ahead of opening of #Sabarimala temple tomorrow. (ANI)
- NDTV (@ndtv) October 16, 2018
Track LIVE updates here: https://t.co/O6M4F9wG5Z #SabarimalaVerdict pic.twitter.com/slpdpu5whQ
Protesters took to the streets to protest against the Supreme Court's Sabarimala verdict.
- "We will not allow any one to take law and order in their hands. The government will ensure facilities to devotees to go to Sabarimala Temple and offer prayers. Government will not submit a review petition. We've said in court that we'll implement the order," says news agency ANI quoting Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
- The Chief Minister also said that the government will not allow any violence in the name of Sabarimala
- The government will not stop to check cars or stop people and that it will ensure the safety and the security of all devotees.