Pamba: Former Vigilance director Jacob Thomas has said that he stood with the devotees who are opposing the entry of young women to Sabarimala temple.
"I am with the faithful. Young women will have to wait," Thomas, who trekked to Sabarimala on Sunday, told Manorama News. The IPS officer in the rank of DGP was suspended from service by the Kerala government in late 2017.
He also said that he welcomed movements like 'Ready to Wait', started by those who insisted that the entry of women into the hill shrine was not a 'feminist issue' and that no true devotees would enter the Sabarimala temple.
The temple had witnessed frenzied protests over the LDF government's decision to implement the Supreme Court's landmark judgment that allowed women of all age groups to enter the shrine. The police then imposed stringent restrictions at the temple complex and nearby areas.
The temple has been witnessing a moderate turnout of devotees after it re-opened for the two-month annual 'Mandala Makkaravillaku' pilgrimage season on November 16, causing concern for the government.
The revenue from the shrine has gone down considerably and Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran expressed concern that it could impact the disbursal of salaries and pension of employees.
The Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the hill shrine, has over 1,200 temples under it which are all dependent on the revenue from the hill temple.
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