Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened an all-party meeting for Thursday to discuss the situation arising out of Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision to hear the review petitions filed by the devotees challenging the September 28 verdict of the Constitution Bench allowing women of child-bearing age to enter the holy shrine Sabarimala.

This is being seen as an attempt by the Chief Minister to evolve a consensus on the tricky issue of implementing the apex court order allowing women devotees in the temple while the State is witnessing unprecedented agitations and demonstrations against the verdict.

The Constitution Bench which heard the petitions on Tuesday decided to hear the case in an open court on January 22. However, the sanctum of the temple opens on Friday evening for the 41-day long Mandala Pooja and many questions remain unanswered.

The Kerala Government has launched a series of measures to facilitate the entry of women in the 10-50 age group into the temple even as the police is continuing with the crackdown on devotees who staged protest marches and demonstrations all over the State.

The move by the Kerala police to distribute identity cards for the devotees has shocked legal experts. Those who want to undertake the pilgrimage should have to get identity cards from the police station of their locality. “This is an ill-conceived act which is doomed to fail. How is it possible for the inspector of the police station to identify potential trouble-makers as thousands of devotees would be applying for the card,” said a former State police chief who is widely respected in the State for his efficiency and integrity.

Since the apex court has not stayed the operation of the September 28 verdict, there is no technical hitch against the entry of women in the temple. But religious scholars and legal experts are of the view that it would be ideal if the Kerala Government keeps in abeyance the September 28 verdict. “If you allow women to enter the temple from Friday, what would happen if the Supreme Court rules that the September 28 verdict is not valid,” asked the former State police chief who did not want his name to be quoted.

Swamy Chidanandapuri, spiritual leader of millions of Hindus in the State who is also the head of the Advaitha Ashram, opined that the apex court has understood the factual errors in the earlier verdict. “That’s why the court decided to hear the review petitions which itself is a rare event. Though the court has not stayed the September 28 verdict, the decision to hear the review petition itself is as good as a stay. What the Kerala Government should do is to keep the September 28 verdict in abeyance and wait for the final verdict from the Supreme Court.

If the CPI(M) Government takes such a decision, the stock of the Government  would  go up,” said the Swamiji who is engaged in a week-long spiritual discourse at Ernakulam.

Kerala is witnessing massive agitations by women devotees themselves against the September 28 verdict. Valsan Thillankeri, RSS leader who led the recent agitation in Sabarimala, said that if the Government goes ahead with its plan to allow women in the temple, the devotees would continue with the agitation.

The Kerala Government is faced with a tricky situation.

Rajeevaru Kantararu, the thanthri, told The Pioneer that while he was happy with the Supreme Court decision, he may be able to decide about future course of action only after studying the court order. What is interesting is the power enjoyed by the Thanthri to shut down the temple doors for purification rituals if women of 10-50 age group enters the temple.

A purification ritual takes a minimum of five hours.