November 15, 2018:

Maharashtra-based ‘right to pray’ campaigner Trupti Desai said that she along with 6 other women will reach the state on November 17 & enter the Sabrimala Temple to “exercise their right to pray guaranteed by the constitution.”

The activist is clearly enthused by the Supreme Court’s refusal to stay its September 28 verdict lifting age restrictions on the entry of women to Sabarimala temple in Kerala

“Our seven-member team will be taking a flight to Sabarimala on November 16. We will land there on November 17….we will not leave Kerala till we are allowed to offer worship,” said Desai, who had two years ago successfully led entry of women in 400-year-old Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra where entry of menstruating women was barred for centuries.

Stating that there was a threat to their lives, Desai said she has sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kerala Chief Minister & State DGP seeking protection when they land in Kerala and till their safe return to Maharashtra.

She said,“After the Supreme Court ruling, I have too received more than 300 numbers of threats on my Facebook account. The messages threaten to murder me, cut me into pieces if I land in Kerala. I have been addressed in dirty, unprintable language."

Some of the threats, said Desai, include references like “as soon as we land at the airport, our hands and legs shall be cut off from bodies & remaining portion of our damaged bodies will be dispatched to Maharashtra which signifies a big danger to our lives in Kerala. We will land at the airport on November 16. It is necessary that we get security protection till the time we leave Kerala.”

Desai has not only sought protection but has also urged Kerala Govt. to bear the expenses of their team during their stay in Kerala.

She wrote in a letter to Kerala Chief Minister,“We request the Kerala government to bear all the expenses with protection incurred by us related to arrangements made since we reach Kerala and subsequently to Maharashtra."

Emphasising that their fight for the entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is for the right to gender equality, Desai said: “This was not a fight against any religion or against devotees. We also have no intention to hurt sentiments of the devotees. On the contrary, we too are the devotees of God. Despite the Supreme Court ruling, we are still unable to worship our God by entering into the temple and that too under police protection which has severely hurt our sentiments.”

Desai said their entry into the temple will be in a democratic way and also based on truth and non-violence as preached by Mahatma Gandhi.

She said,“Whoever opposes our entry into the temple and to whatever extent, we will enter the temple with folded hands before the protesters which will be based fully on Gandhian principles. If any violence or untoward incident occurs, it will be the responsibility of the Kerala government."

Picture Source :