Ready for talks, says Kerala Chief Minister

With sporadic protests erupting across the State against the Supreme Court judgment allowing women of all age groups to enter the Sabarimala temple, the government has asserted that it was left with no option but to implement the verdict.

It reiterated that it would not file a review petition.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told a press conference here on Monday that the government was for allowing all women to worship at the Sabarimala temple, even as it was committed to protecting religious beliefs and traditions. “The government is bound to go by the Constitutional mandate to implement the Supreme Court verdict.” He said it was willing to hold talks to dispel any misgivings about its role in diluting temple traditions.

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“We are not for a confrontation with believers, but there is no question of surrendering to any attempt to foment trouble in the name of the verdict,” he said.

Mr. Vijayan accused the Congress of vying with the BJP to launch a smear campaign against the government on the Sabarimala issue. He advised the Nair Service Society, the SNDP and the Yoga Kshema Sabha to review their decision to spearhead the protests against the Supreme Court verdict.

The RSS, he alleged, was trying to whip up passions and incite trouble.

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The Chief Minister said the Supreme Court judgment in the Sabarimala case had to be seen in the backdrop of the social renaissance movement against feudalism, superstitions and evil practices and discrimination against backward classes and women in Kerala.

The Supreme Court verdict was not triggered by a government decision, order or legislation; it had its genesis in a public interest litigation filed by a petitioner in 1990 on which the High Court had upheld the curbs on entry of women to the temple.

The case had reached the Supreme Court in 2006 when the Indian Young Lawyers Association filed a petition. The State government, as respondent, had submitted an affidavit stating that it wanted the curbs on entry of women to be lifted, yet in the interests of traditions and beliefs, proposed the constitution of a committee of acclaimed religious leaders and social reformers to provide advice on the issue.

The affidavit had also stated that the government had no intention to bring in legislation and would abide by the judgment of the court.

Justifying the government's decision not to file a review petition, Mr. Vijayan said it would have gone against the assurance given to the court to implement its verdict. He, however, added that the government had nothing against anyone else seeking a review.

He said the snowballing movement against the government on the Sabarimala issue could be a bid to sabotage the secular outlook and social harmony that had enabled the State to stand as one to tackle the recent floods and take up rehabilitation and reconstruction.