PAMPA: The heavy rain at Sabarimala on Saturday helped cool down the passions prevailing there for the last few days, and there was a steady flow of devotees to the hill shrine. However, the police declined to provide security cover to a young woman to go to Sannidhanam. Also, a woman from Trichy in Tamil Nadu was stopped by protesters at Sannidhanam doubting that she was below the age of 50. However, she showed them her ID proof and was allowed to go to the shrine.
But Manju, leader of Kerala Dalit Federation(KDF), could not make it to Sannidhanam as the police at Pampa refused to provide her protection when she approached them around 3 p.m.
She later decided to return and was taken back to her home at Chathannoor, Kollam, with tight police protection by 5.30 p.m.
Manju told the police that she had come to see Lord Ayyappa as a devotee and not as an activist. She said that she would return on Sunday or Monday. IG S.Sreejith said a decision on providing her security to go to Sabarimala would be taken on Sunday.
“There are at least 14 cases filed against her in connection with her organisational work and so a background check is needed to give her security cover,” he said. Compared to earlier days, there were no protests at Pampa on Saturday.
Pathanamthitta district collector P.B.Nooh said that all facilities, including washrooms, had been set up at Sannidanam. “Women will not face any sanitation problems at Sannidanam or Pampa,” he said.
As many as 1, 300 police personnel have been deployed at Pampa and Sabarimala.
