Women’s entry into Sabarimala: Kerala’s Nair Service Society to file review petition

Referring to the state govt and TDB’s stand of not filing a review petition against the SC verdict, NSS General Secy. Sukumaran Nair termed it as “unfortunate”.

news Sabarimala Verdict

The Supreme Court’s verdict which allows entry of women of all ages to the Sabarimala temple in Kerala continues to be challenged by various pro-Hindu groups and other organisations.

The Nair Service Society (NSS), a body consisting of members of the Nair society, which is an influential society in Kerala, on Thursday said that it will file a review petition in the Supreme Court against its verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple. NSS has always been against the entry of women into the temple.

According to a report by the Times of India (TOI), G Sukumaran Nair, who is the General Secretary of the NSS, on Thursday, had slammed the Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for their stand on the issue.

Referring to the stand of the state government and the TDB of not filing a review petition against the SC verdict, Sukumaran Nair termed it as “unfortunate”.

The NSS general secretary is also reported to have expressed his disappointment at the swiftness with which the state government wanted to execute the court verdict, “which is affecting the devotees”.

G Sukumaran Nair reportedly said that it was hard for him to digest the fact that the TDB, which is an independent entity committed to protect the customs and traditions of the temples, could take such a decision.

“The Constitution is above everything. Abolishing bad customs and traditions is essential. However, it is the duty of Governments to make amendments at the right time to protect the faith of the people. Then only peace, unity and prosperity will prevail in the county,” Sukamaran Nair is quoted to have said.

Ending a decade-long battle, the Supreme Court on September 28 in a landmark judgement, lifted the ban on the entry of women into the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The court observed that physiological and biological factors can't be given legitimacy if they don't pass the muster of conditionality, meaning women and men are equal.

In a majority verdict, the five-judge Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra observed that Article 25, the Right to practice religion, is applicable to both men and women.