5,000 Cops To Guard Sabarimala Route From Base Camps

In order to implement the Supreme Court order, allowing entry of women to the Sabarimala temple, the state law enforcing agency and local government have come together once again. Since the temple will reopen for devotees on November 5 at 5.30 pm and will remain open till 10.30 pm on November 6, the police will guard the temple area right from the base camps of Pamba, Nilakkal, Elavunkal and Sannidhanam.

The 5,000-strong police contingent has undertaken prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC to prevent assembling of people at the base camps for protests. They will take charge from Saturday evening till November 6 midnight.

The temple is opening doors for the ‘Chithira Atta Vishesham’ ceremony. Devotees and mediapersons will get entry to Pamba from Nilakkal only from 8 am on November 5. Police will strictly screen everybody who is coming from Nilakkal. Pathanamthitta district police chief T Narayanan said that police will allow people to move towards Pamba only after a security check.

The police will only allow devotees and media persons to travel to Pamba from Nilakkal. The director general of police has divided the force into two teams headed by two IGs P Vijayan and M R Ajith Kumar. Five SPs and 10 DSPs will help the two teams in providing security at Vadasserikkara, Nilakkal, Pamba and Sannidhanam.

The 5,000-strong police contingent has undertaken prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC to prevent assembling of people at the base camps for protests. They will take charge from Saturday evening till November 6 midnight

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After the Hindu outfits and Sangh Parivar declared threats for women trying to enter the temple, the police are all out to make sure that devotees entering the temple for prayers don't face any protests and rioting. “Nobody will be allowed to stay for long or to camp at Sannidhanam and also along the trekking path. Police are committed to implement the Supreme Court order. Hence, if any woman comes seeking police protection to trek to the holy shrine, police will provide protection,” said Narayanan.

People who live and work close to the temple and any of its base camps will need to get a police clearance certificate in order to move freely in the area during this period. They will have to get the certificates from their nearby police stations. They will also have to carry an identity card to show to the police once they are anywhere near the entry points of the base camp. Government employees will also have to carry their identity cards to enter Pamba and Sannidhanam.

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