New York Times journalist, colleague forced to return from Sabarimala amid protest

Thiruvananthapuram: A New York Times journalist, Suhasini Raj, who managed to climb halfway to the Sabarimala shrine on Thursday morning, was forced to return after she was stopped by protesters.

Suhasini, along with her colleague, a foreign national, managed to cross Pamba and reach Marakkoottam, which is only a few kilometres away from the hilltop shrine, but were stopped by those who are trying to impose an age-old ban on the entry of women between 10 to 50 years of age despite the Supreme Court verdict.

According to reports, the crowd heckled her as she continued up the hill and reached Marakkoottam saying that she did not come to pray but to do her work. However, as trekking became difficult due to massive protest, she and her colleague decided to return.

Reporters of Malayalam news channels who followed the journalist to the hill shrine said the devotees shouted slogans “ladies go back” and allegedly hurled abuses at her opposing her entry into the ancient shrine, news agency PTI reported. Local TV crew said she is in her late 40s.

Meanwhile, Kerala police claimed that they were ready to offer her protection but on reaching Marakkoottam, “Suhasini decided to come back after seeing the crowd”.

“We will give protection to everybody going up. It's our job to give protection to all pilgrims. We will put more manpower and secure all routes. She (Suhasini Raj) wasn't forced to come back, she came back,” a police official told news agency ANI.

Later, Suhasini and her colleague were taken to Pamba police station.

If she had been able to climb the hills, she would have become the first woman of the menstrual age group to visit the Sabarimala Temple.

The Sabarimala temple opened for the first time Wednesday evening after the Supreme Court ruling last month allowing entry of women aged between 10 and 50.

However, protesters opposing the entry of women of the banned age group to the Lord Ayappa shrine heckled women journalists, smashed their vehicles and also clashed with the police. They besieged the road leading to the temple, checked buses and stopped women from going near the shrine.

Following intense protests, Kerala government has imposed Section 144, banning assembly of four or more people has been imposed in parts of Kerala.

Several outfits, protesting women’s entry in Sabarimala shrine, also called for a 12-hour shutdown.