Royal Family, Priest Decline Talks with CM on Sabarimala Verdict

The CPI(M) had asked the govt to hold talks with the royal family and the Sabarimala priest to reach a consensus.

Many people in Kerala, including women, are protesting the Supreme Court verdict allowing the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple.

(Photo Courtesy: Rahul Easwar/ Twitter)

In an obstacle to the Kerala government’s attempt to work out a consensus between the royal family and the thantri (priest) of the Sabarimala temple on the Supreme Court’s verdict that now allows women of all ages to enter the temple, the two parties have opted out of holding talks with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Sabarimala thantri Kandararu Mohanaru said:

We have moved a review petition in the Supreme Court against the earlier verdict. We will decide on the future course of action only after knowing the outcome of the review petition. Otherwise, the discussion with the government does not make any sense.

The royal family too said that their wish was to protect the age-old traditions of the temple (which didn’t allow women of menstrual age to enter) and was thus not interested in reaching a consensus with the government on implementing the judgment, the newspaper further reported.

Nair Community Wishes to Review Verdict: Sabarimala Priest

Explaining that there was no point in holding talks with the chief minister until the outcome of the review petition they had moved was noted, Mohanaru said that this decision was based on a conversation with the Nair Service Society, a prominent group of the "upper-caste” Nair community, the report added.

Mohanaru also stated his displeasure at the Travancore Devaswom Board’s decision, which deployed female police officials to manage the women devotees at upcoming puja that is scheduled to take place later in October.

Royal Family Wishes to Protect the Temple’s Traditions: Representative

Following the Supreme Court verdict, the CPI(M) had requested the government to hold discussions with the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam, which according to the party, has a strong say in the temple’s rituals and traditions.

However, RR Varma, representative of the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam, told the newspaper that the reason the family did not wish to hold talks with the chief minister was because they did not wish to reach a consensus on implementing the judgment.

He also said that it was the wish of the family for the Devaswom Board to move a review petition or have the government ask the board to do so.

Let the government make the Devaswom Board move a review petition against the Supreme Court’s order. Why does the government want to hold a discussion with us for implementing a court order? 

R R Verma to <i>The Indian Express</i>

The CPI(M) had also asked the government to hold talks with Mohanaru.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)