IPA Newspack
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets

IPA /

IPA Special

IPA Special

Urban Ayyappas File ‘Commonsense’ Petition

By Aditya Aamir

 

Your flaws are what make you perfect. You can say that of most everything, too. Like review petitions in the Supreme Court, which point to flaws in otherwise thought to be ‘perfect judgements’. But that’s okay because in many cases, dissenting justices underline the ‘flaw’ in the majority judgement. But dissents such as those, however brilliant, don’t matter, till a review petition is filed.

 

The Sabarimala verdict has been up for scrutiny from word go. While it was landmark, it’s been criticized for going out of bounds of the earmarked. There’s also the ‘Right to Practice Religion’, say detractors of the four justices who gave the majority judgement. The Left Front government of Kerala refused to go for a review but that’s more politics than prayer.

 

Now, an outfit called the National Ayyappa Devotees’ Association (NADA) has filed a review petition asking the Supreme Court to undo the wrong done to the Ayyappa devotees, stressing that the top court should not have violated the Constitution and the rights of the devotees.

 

The opposition to the SC ruling is that the dispute is not about gender and ‘women’s entry’ because “women under 10 and over 50” have always been visiting Sabarimala. The court thought otherwise and ruled that devotion cannot be subjected to discrimination and patriarchal notions cannot be allowed to trump equality in devotion.

 

That was on September 28 and much water has flown down the Pamba since then. A Jallikattu-like movement has started and fiery debates on television have spurred people to spontaneously come out on to the streets. Led by women devotees of Ayyappa, the protests seek to impress that the #ReadyToWait outnumber #RightToPray by miles!

 

NADA in its petition claims the top court’s verdict “shocked millions of devotees” and the decision should be overturned. “The petitioners believe that no legal luminary, not even the greatest of jurists or a judge, can be a match to the commonsense and wisdom of the masses. No judicial pronouncement, even of the highest judicial tribunal in this country… can be a match for the voice of the people,” says NADA head Shylaja Vijayan.

 

NADA was not party to the original case. “The judgement on Sabarimala is “absolutely untenable and irrational if not perverse,” says NADA. Lakhs of people in Kerala second the opinion. Thousands of Ayyappa devotees have been taking to the streets across Kerala and are led by a fiery and irreverent character going by the name of Rahul Easwar, a maverick who’s probably a bigger threat to the CPM-led state government on this particular issue than the Congress and the BJP/RSS combine.

 

Last week an anchor of a television news channel told a Doubting Thomas CPM spokesperson to be wise and not take Rahul Easwar lightly just because he shouts and rants. “You’re making a mistake and you’ll regret, but by then things will have got out of hand,” the anchor told the CPM representative minutes after Easwar left the show after giving more than an inkling of where he was heading, which was only to another TV studio!

 

One word Easwar never fails to inject into his “rants” is “humbly”. He is always “humbly” requesting “sisters like Trupti Desai” to reconsider because otherwise with “all due respect” she will be made to “step over our chests” to get anywhere near the Sabarimala shrine. Claiming that the Ayyappa Dharma Sena he heads is strapped of funds, he says he will be in Delhi “this week” to hold a protest event at Jantar Mantar.

 

But the Pinarayi Vijayan government doesn’t need anchor-advice. Unconfirmed reports say there are plans to scupper Rahul Easwar including his “house arrest”, the ‘Urban Ayyappas’ are a clear threat to left plans which go beyond respect for women’s rights. Apart from corralling Easwar, there is also a plan to chopper-lift 40 Kerala Police women constables and a “group of 12 Ayyappa women devotees – Hindu, Christian and Muslim” to the Sabarimala shrine on October 16 and “enter” them, come what may.

 

This move, if it is part of the state government’s plan to defeat the “Constitution-breakers”, lends credence to the protestors’ accusation that the state government is “cheating devotees”, something which has become the lexicon of the opposition – the Congress and the BJP, both of which want the Pinarayi Vijayan regime to wait for the review petition to be heard.

 

Vijayan is not moved. “Filing a review petition is against the stand,” he said Monday. “It is the responsibility of the government to implement the court verdict. It is not the policy of the government to fight with believers, their interest will be protected. The government is ready for discussions.” The last probably signals a shift, a softening of the stand, a serious shift, may be.

 

The “commonsense of the masses” NADA speaks about in the review petition must be striking a chord in the politicians and humour has injected into the debate, a down to earth chuckle shift. Asked at a presser at the Trivandrum Press Club to make a stand on the issue with a clear and unequivocal “Yes or No”, a Congress politician quipped with a straight face, “Or!” (IPA Service)

 

 

The post Urban Ayyappas File ‘Commonsense’ Petition appeared first on Newspack by India Press Agency.

IPA Newspack

Politics

Rahul says people of India, and not just Cong, will defeat BJP

June 4, 2023
Politics

Mehbooba gets a passport after three-year wait

June 4, 2023
Politics

Rail minister says no time for politics after spat with Mamata

June 4, 2023
Politics

Sibal cites govt inadequacies behind Odisha rail tragedy

June 4, 2023
Politics

Rare show of appreciation for Modi from Sam Pitroda

June 4, 2023
IPA Special

Nepalese Prime Minister’s Four Day Visit Bring Ties With India Closer

June 3, 2023
IPA Special

What Will Be India’s Response To US’s Bid To Offer NATO+ Membership

June 3, 2023
IPA Special

Narendra Modi Has Been Most Successful In Using Technology For Governance

June 3, 2023
IPA Special

Law Commission Parrots Views Of BJP, RSS Rather Than An Expert View

June 3, 2023
IPA Special

Rahul Gandhi’s Alternative Vision Can Be A Good Basis For June 12 Discussion

June 3, 2023
IPA Special

Labour Market Recovery Still Under Hostage Of Multiple Crises

June 3, 2023
IPA Special

Erdogan’s Presidential Win Is A Clear Loss For People Of Turkiye

June 3, 2023
IPA Special

July 23 General Election In Spain Is The Test Of Left For Its Political Survival

June 3, 2023
Happening Now

One of Independent India’s worst rail accidents

June 3, 2023
Politics

Cong slams BJP for criticising Rahul’s remark on IUML

June 3, 2023
Politics

SGPC flays Rahul Gandhi statement about Guru Nanak

June 3, 2023
Politics

Kejriwal asks Cong to choose between Constitution and Modi

June 3, 2023
Politics

‘Free power’ parties will have to pay some way: Minister

June 3, 2023
IPA Special

Opposition Can Follow A Five-Point Approach To Defeat BJP In 2024 Lok Sabha Polls

June 2, 2023
IPA Special

Bigger Muslim Support To The Congress In Karnataka Poll Is A Positive Signal For 2024

June 2, 2023

An appeal

The legacy of IPA, founded by Nikhil Chakravartty, the doyen of journalism in India, to keep the flag of independent media flying high, is facing the threat of extinction due to the effect of the Covid pandemic. Only an emergency funding can avert such an eventuality. We appeal to all those who believe in the freedom of expression to contribute to this noble cause.
Click here to learn more

Share

Reply

  • 0
More on IPA

Nepalese Prime Minister’s Four Day Visit Bring Ties With India Closer

June 3, 2023 5:00 pm | IPA Staff

By Arun Kumar Shrivastav During his 4-day India visit, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal completed formal engagements with the Indian leadership and is visiting...

IPA Special

What Will Be India’s Response To US’s Bid To Offer NATO+ Membership

June 3, 2023 3:37 pm | IPA Staff

By Girish Linganna In what could be a significant turning point in global geopolitics, the United States is reportedly contemplating extending an invitation to India...

IPA Special

Narendra Modi Has Been Most Successful In Using Technology For Governance

June 3, 2023 3:35 pm | IPA Staff

By Harihar Swarup Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completed his Ninth Year as Prime Minister. Look at how he has already left his imprint on...

IPA Special

Law Commission Parrots Views Of BJP, RSS Rather Than An Expert View

June 3, 2023 3:34 pm | IPA Staff

By K Raveendran The Law Commission has taken a political stand in its report about sedition rather than a policy stand, which a body of...

IPA Special

Nepalese Prime Minister’s Four Day Visit Bring Ties With India Closer

in IPA Special
Jun 3, 2023   ·  

What Will Be India’s Response To US’s Bid To Offer NATO+ Membership

in IPA Special
Jun 3, 2023   ·  

Narendra Modi Has Been Most Successful In Using Technology For Governance

in IPA Special
Jun 3, 2023   ·  

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Follow us on
Up Next: Hindutva Camp’s Unease With The Supreme Court
©2020 -2021 India Press Agency, All Rights Reserved.
Newspack by India Press Agency | Statement of Ownership | Contact Us
logo
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets