<p>Thiruvananthapuram: With the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Supreme%20Court">Supreme Court</a> scheduled to consider the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Sabarimala">Sabarimala </a>women entry case on Monday, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala is under pressure to clarify its stand on the demand to lift the ban on the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the hill shrine.</p><p>Congress as well as the Nair Service Society (NSS), which is a key forum of Hindu Nair community, have asked the Left-front government whether it would change its earlier stand in favour of lifting the ban. The CPM leaders are evading a direct reply to the matter by buying time.</p><p>The Left-front government is already on the defensive over the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple gold heist as well as the suspected fund misappropriation with regard to the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, that too when the assembly polls are approaching in the state.</p>.VACB records statements of sponsors, celebrities in Sabarimala flag mast gold misappropriation probe.<p>Kerala witnessed strong protests in 2018 after the Pinarayi Vijayan government tried to implement the Supreme Court order allowing women of all ages to enter the temple. Two women, Bindu Ammini and Kanakadurga, were allowed to enter the hill shrine on January 2, 2019 with police protection amidst the violent resistance by BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits. </p><p>This had caused a political setback to the Left-front as the state government had then backed the lifting of the ban on the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the temple. </p><p>The apex court later referred a set of review petitions to the seven-member bench and hence the ban is still continuing. </p><p>While NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair expressed hopes that the Left-front government would "correct" its earlier stand at the SC, Congress legislature party leader V D Satheesan asked the chief minister to clarify the government's stand.</p><p>"The government should clarify whether it would give a fresh affidavit in the SC changing its earlier stand in favour of allowing women of all ages to the temple or not. There needs to be clarity," Sathesan said.</p><p>Congress has been taking a stand that religious beliefs need to be protected.</p>.Sabarimala gold loss: Kerala High Court rejects Pankaj Bhandari's plea against arrest.<p>CPM state secretary M V Govindan and state law minister P Rajeev evaded direct reply on whether the government would change its stand before the SC or not. </p><p>"We will go by the court directives. Earlier the court ordered that women of all ages should be allowed to enter and hence the government implemented that," said Govindan.</p><p>Rajeev said that it was for the SC to decide whether the state's opinion was required on the matter. In such a case the government will convey its stand, he said.</p><p>Women in the 10-50 age (menstruating age) are banned in the temple based on the belief that lord Ayyappa is a 'Naishtika brahmachari' (celibate).</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: With the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Supreme%20Court">Supreme Court</a> scheduled to consider the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=Sabarimala">Sabarimala </a>women entry case on Monday, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala is under pressure to clarify its stand on the demand to lift the ban on the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the hill shrine.</p><p>Congress as well as the Nair Service Society (NSS), which is a key forum of Hindu Nair community, have asked the Left-front government whether it would change its earlier stand in favour of lifting the ban. The CPM leaders are evading a direct reply to the matter by buying time.</p><p>The Left-front government is already on the defensive over the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple gold heist as well as the suspected fund misappropriation with regard to the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, that too when the assembly polls are approaching in the state.</p>.VACB records statements of sponsors, celebrities in Sabarimala flag mast gold misappropriation probe.<p>Kerala witnessed strong protests in 2018 after the Pinarayi Vijayan government tried to implement the Supreme Court order allowing women of all ages to enter the temple. Two women, Bindu Ammini and Kanakadurga, were allowed to enter the hill shrine on January 2, 2019 with police protection amidst the violent resistance by BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits. </p><p>This had caused a political setback to the Left-front as the state government had then backed the lifting of the ban on the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the temple. </p><p>The apex court later referred a set of review petitions to the seven-member bench and hence the ban is still continuing. </p><p>While NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair expressed hopes that the Left-front government would "correct" its earlier stand at the SC, Congress legislature party leader V D Satheesan asked the chief minister to clarify the government's stand.</p><p>"The government should clarify whether it would give a fresh affidavit in the SC changing its earlier stand in favour of allowing women of all ages to the temple or not. There needs to be clarity," Sathesan said.</p><p>Congress has been taking a stand that religious beliefs need to be protected.</p>.Sabarimala gold loss: Kerala High Court rejects Pankaj Bhandari's plea against arrest.<p>CPM state secretary M V Govindan and state law minister P Rajeev evaded direct reply on whether the government would change its stand before the SC or not. </p><p>"We will go by the court directives. Earlier the court ordered that women of all ages should be allowed to enter and hence the government implemented that," said Govindan.</p><p>Rajeev said that it was for the SC to decide whether the state's opinion was required on the matter. In such a case the government will convey its stand, he said.</p><p>Women in the 10-50 age (menstruating age) are banned in the temple based on the belief that lord Ayyappa is a 'Naishtika brahmachari' (celibate).</p>
