Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urging him to rectify “the lapses committed” at Sabarimala during the Mandalam season and facilitate a smooth pilgrimage for devotees.
In the letter, Mr. Satheesan also sought an immediate end to the alleged police raj which resulted in pilgrims’ vehicles being stopped at Pandalam, Chengannur, Vadasserikkara, Laha, and Erumely, making the pilgrims wait for hours on the road.
Pathetic sight
“It is the duty of the government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to ensure darshan for the devotees. Instead, what we witnessed was the pathetic sight of the government running away from its responsibilities. It is sad that for the first time in the history of Sabarimala, devotees were forced to return halfway without completing the pilgrimage,‘’ he said in the letter.
According to Mr. Satheesan, the absence of substantive review meetings and the disputes between the police and the Devaswom Board adversely affected the pilgrimage season in the first phase. “Even basic facilities were not provided to the devotees. There were not enough toilets along the Pampa-Sannidhanam route. There were not even enough KSRTC buses,’’ pointed out Mr. Satheesan.
Holding that the TDB and the Devaswom Minister had failed in coordinating the activities at Sabarimala, he also condemned an alleged statement by the TDB president that women and children should not visit Sabarimala on holidays.
