Stunned Mahendran says he respects apex court verdict

KOTTAYAM

: S Mahendran, who had approached the high court in 1990 seeking ban on women entry to Sabarimala, was taken aback by the Supreme Court verdict allowing the entry of women in Sabarimala. The 54-year-old, speaking from a private hospital in Pandalam where he is undergoing treatment for a wound on his leg, said that though he was saddened by the verdict, he will respect it.


"I feel that the court did not consider the customs and traditions. But I respect the verdict from the apex court of the country," he said. The high court had given priority to the customs and traditions while passing the verdict in 1991, he added. In 1991, the HC restricted entry of women above the age of 10 and below the age of 50 from offering worship at Sabarimala shrine as they were of the menstruating age.

Mahendran, who hails from Perunna in

Changanassery

, moved court after he came to know about the entry of woman from a photograph which appeared in a newspaper.

The photograph was about a first rice-feeding ceremony of the grand-daughter of former devaswom commissioner

Chandrika

conducted at the Sabarimala temple in the presence of her daughter, the mother of the child.

This photograph appeared in Janmabhoomi daily. Based on this photograph, Mahendran sent a letter to the court which was accepted as a public interest litigation.

"I was the secretary of YMA library at Puzhavathu in Changanassery at that time. I used to read all the newspapers then and I noticed this photograph," he said.

Mahendran had completed his BCom and used to get actively involved in public matters. Mahendran remembers that it was

Nair Service Society

(NSS) and the Ayyappa Sewa Sangham which came in support of him. Taking into consideration about his financial state, the court posted a lawyer for him.

As Mahendran stood firmly behind his plea, many started suspecting that his complaint was due to a personal grudge with the woman officer of the board.

The court pronounced its judgment in 1991 banning the entry of women in the the age group of 10-50.

Mahendran is now managing the family chit fund business in Changanassery.

He is also the president of YMA library here and the karayogam president of Puzhavathu unit of the NSS. His wife is a homemaker while the only daughter is married and settled in Dubai.

Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wisheswishes, messages and quotes !