- The Supreme Court is reviewing petitions on women’s entry in Sabarimala temple today
- Kerala Left government faces dilemma on stance amid upcoming elections and past pro-entry support
- Final verdict will come from a five-judge bench after constitutional questions are addressed
The Supreme Court's consideration of review petitions on the Sabarimala women's entry verdict has once again placed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government in a policy dilemma, with political observers closely watching whether it will maintain its earlier pro-entry stance or recalibrate ahead of upcoming elections.
The issue brings back the balancing act between progressive ideological commitments and the political fallout seen during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
"Navodhanam" or new age revolution was the mantra used by the left government pushing the idea of supporting women entry in Sabarimala. Citing the court mandate the government in 2019 had given police protection to women when they tried entering Sabarimala shrine.
The government had also kickstarted the "women's wall," a human chain of women across the state citing its strong stance for women entry in Sabarimala. The government had claimed that 50 lakh women took part in the human chain campaign. Therefore, whether the government will take a U-turn in the matter holds political relevance.
The opposition has come forward, nudging the government to make its stance clear. Leader of opposition VD Satheeshan demanded clarity and declared the next government led by the UDF will withdraw the affidavit.
Meanwhile, state law minister P Rajeeve clarified that the government will announce the stand at the right time and blamed the opposition for unnecessarily raking up the issue to fluster people.
NSS Supremo Makes Sympathetic Statement For Left
Interestingly, the Nair Service Society (NSS) secretary Sukumaran Nair stated that the government is likely to soften its stance. "I expect the government to correct its affidavit," he said and extended the blame to the BJP-led NDA government for not resolving the matter, quite surprisingly, in an issue which is pending in the Supreme Court.
Nair, a petitioner in the case, clearly sympathetic for the left government through his statement clarified that the state government has principally stopped entry of women in Sabarimala. "Though not written, the government action was in support of keeping the traditions of Sabarimala," he said.
In Delhi, the Supreme Court will today consider 67 petitions seeking a review of the verdict allowing entry of women of all age groups into the Sabarimala temple. Questions related to equality, freedom of faith, and the essentiality of religious practices will be examined by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
The court is expected to issue directions for constituting a new nine-judge bench to hear the larger constitutional questions. The earlier nine-judge bench formed in 2019 has effectively lapsed, as eight of its members, except Justice Surya Kant, have since retired.
Apart from Sabarimala, the nine-judge bench is expected to consider wider issues including women's religious rights in Muslim and Parsi communities and the extent to which courts can intervene in matters of faith and religious practice. The final verdict on the Sabarimala review pleas will be delivered later by a five-judge constitution bench after these broader questions are settled.
While the Kerala government may not be required to state its position during today's hearing before the three-judge bench, it will likely have to clarify its stand when the newly constituted nine-judge bench begins proceedings, potentially bringing the issue back into the political spotlight ahead of elections.
