Accordingly tensions are simmering at Pamba in Kerala as six women arrived at the town in an attempt to enter the hill shrine of Sabarimala, even as anti-women entry protesters gathered to stop them. Meanwhile a group of 11 women, including 5 who came along to give the others moral support as they attempt to climb the 18 sacred steps, assembled at Pamba at 4 am on Sunday amidst high security.
Reportedly the 11 women belong to Manithi, a Chennai based all-women group, which decided to attempt entry despite the threats and violence faced by women devotees and journalists over the last couple of months. As per report the group, all the women who are attempting to enter the shrine Selvi, Muthulekshmi, Karppakam, Eshwari, Sreedevi and Kala have followed the required fasts and rituals in the run up to the pilgrimage.
Moreover DySP Sreekumar said, "The information we got is that a Tamilnadu-based group, and women coming from different places would reach Kottayam and head to Pamba. Accordingly they would reach Kottayam through different means, but then the main group headed by Selvi went by road to Pamba. Further when the morning Chennai mail came, a group of protestors had headed to the station but they were stopped at Logos junction."
