12-YEAR-OLD GIRL CRIES, AS FAMILY FORCED TO LEAVE HER BEHIND FOR ENTERING SABARIMALA TEMPLE 

As the Sabarimala temple opened for the 41-day annual pilgrimage season, a family was forced to leave behind their 12-year-old daughter after Kerala police stopped her from entering into Sabarimala. 

It was a sad sight for the family from Puducherry, where their 12-year-old girl wept as while her family was asked to proceed without her. She was then taken away by a police woman at the Pamba base camp which is about 9 km from the temple. 

According to News18 reports, the girl's father tried to comfort her and also request the police many a times but to no avail. This incident comes days after the Kerala government has remained non-committal about giving protection to women and girls between 10 and 50 who are no longer banned from visiting the shrine.

This order was passed after a Supreme Court order but have been unable to implement because of stiff opposition from priests and right wing activists.

The 12-year-old came from Tamil Nadu and belonged to Belur, who was accompanied by her father and other relatives. 

To stop young girls and women from going the temple, police are checking all vehicles at Nilakkal, even women police constables have been deployed in the area.

This is the second pilgrim season after the Supreme Court’s ruling in September 2018.