Rumours of women visiting Sabarimala; security beefed up

Sabarimala:  Following rumours that young women were likely to visit Sabarimala, police tightened up security at the hill shrine.

It all began after a facebook group, “Renaissance Kerala to Sabarimala” announced that it would dispatch women to the temple.  

There was no rush of devotees when the temple opened for Kumbhamasa pooja on Tuesday.

And police were not accosted by women seeking protection in Pamba or Nilakkal.

However, in view of unexpected arrival of women, as many as 1500 personnel were deployed from Nilakla to Sannidhanam, and security charge of Nilakal, Pamba and Sannidhanam was assigned to different ASPs.

Meanwhile, Pathanamthitta SP submitted a report to the collector seeking to declare curfew. But curfew has not been clamped yet.

Earlier, intelligence briefing warned of large scale protest along the Pamba and Sannidhanam road.  Given this, police have sought for curfew again.

More activists of Sabarimala Karmasamithi than there had been in the protests during the pilgrimage season are learnt to have gathered in the Pamba-Sannidhanam road.

Security was tightened after RSS took women entry to Sabarimala hoodwinking Karmasamithi activists as an affront.

Only KSRTC buses ply services from Nilakkal to Pamba, and police check each bus to ensure not any young women devotees are making it to Sabarimala.

It is learnt that if young women turned up for darshan, police wouldn’t arrest protesters allowing women for dershan.

However, there is no tight security at Sannidhanam this time around. Police allow devotees to linger and rest at Sannidhanam. Given the low turnout of devotees, situation is fully under control.