Sabarimala verdict: 5-judge SC bench commences hearing on review petition

Four women have moved the Supreme Court seeking to intervene as parties in support of its last September's historic judgment which allowed women of all age groups into Sabarimala temple in Kerala.

The Supreme Court Wednesday commenced hearing on pleas seeking review of its verdict which had allowed women of all ages entry into Kerala's Sabarimala temple.

Senior advocate K Prasaran, appearing for Nair Service Society, opened the arguments before a five-judge bench and sought setting aside of the verdict.

The review petitions are being heard by a Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra.

There are 64 cases being heard in total, out of which some are review petitions and some transfer petitions.

On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by the then CJI Dipak Misra, in a 4:1 verdict had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the shrine, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination.

Four intervenors

Four women have moved the Supreme Court seeking to intervene as parties in support of its last September's historic judgment which allowed women of all age groups into Sabarimala temple in Kerala.

The apex court is all set to hear the review petitions against the verdict from Wednesday.

Reshma C V, Shanila, Bindu A and Kanakadurga, hailing from Kerala, have filed applications seeking to be heard as intervenors. They are supporting the verdict.

Of the four, Bindu and Kanakadurga, aged 44 and 42, were the first to have stepped into the hallowed precincts after the top court's historic judgement lifted the ban on entry of girls and women between 10 and 50 years of age into the shrine of Lord Ayyappa, its eternally celibate deity.

The other two applicants -- 33-year-old Reshma and 29-year-old Shanila, had twice attempted to enter the temple, first on January 15 and again on January 19. However, they were heckled and prevented by some self proclaimed devotees after which they had to discontinue.

"There are thousands of women waiting for Darshan at Sabarimala and are awaiting the final outcome of the review petitions, when this court would be pleased to hear and finally decide. The applicants may be permitted to intervene and make their submissions before this court when the Review Petitions are heard by this court, in order to oppose the Reviews," said Reshma and Shanila in their application.

Business Standard

How religion and women's rights clash at Sabarimala: NYT journo's story

'In India, the people's belief is more important than any law,' said Devidas Sethumadhavan, a district officer in Kerala for the RSS.

Business Standard : As a woman and a man climbed a steep trail on Thursday leading to one of Hinduism’s holiest temples, a mob multiplied with frightening speed.

From a point farther up the path, several hundred men screamed at the woman, insisting that she immediately turn back from visiting the Sabarimala Temple, a centuries-old shrine in southern India. When the pair of visitors, both journalists for The New York Times, decided to descend, the crowd rushed at them, hurled rocks and pummeled two dozen police officers.

“Madam, you don’t be afraid, O.K.?” Habeeb Ullah, one of the police officers, told one of the journalists, a bit too late.

For centuries, women of childbearing age were prohibited from entering the temple, which is perched on a lush hill in the coastal state of Kerala. Last month, after India’s Supreme Court struck down that ban, saying that barring women from the temple infringed on their constitutional rights, thousands of protesters pledged that women who dared to visit the temple would be punished.

On Wednesday, when the temple opened for the first time since the ban was scrapped, it quickly became the latest battleground in a long-running conflict between India’s modern, liberal court system and deeply conservative elements of its ancient culture. Protesters, many of them women, assaulted several journalists, smashed vehicle windshields and tried to rip a 22-year-old woman who planned to visit the temple from a bus

“Hooliganism reigns in this place,” the woman’s father, Manoj, who goes by one name, told the Indian news media. “It’s almost as if these people view women as terrorists.”

By late Wednesday, the Kerala government had deployed hundreds of heavily armed police officers near a river bed at the base of the trek, and dozens of people had been arrested. Manoj Abraham, a police officer in the area, said, “Every devotee will be allowed safe passage.”

But the dispute is about something much broader than access to a temple: Whether Supreme Court rules can be enforced in a spectacularly diverse country of 1.3 billion people, where progressive court orders issued in New Delhi are abstract, or optional, in rural parts of India, and communities are intensely organized around religion.

Though Indian women are leading campaigns to dismantle discriminatory rules on access to religious sites, and courts are ruling in their favor, the grip of tradition is still ironclad in places like the Sabarimala Temple.

“In India, the people’s belief is more important than any law,” said Devidas Sethumadhavan, a district officer in Kerala for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a right-wing Hindu nationalist group.

For as long as anybody can remember, caretakers at the Sabarimala Temple, which hosts millions of pilgrims every year, have obediently enforced a de facto ban on women and girls who menstruate, defined by temple officials as those between 10 and 50 years old. The restrictions are rooted in the belief that the presence of menstruating women, who some Hindus believe are impure, would distract Lord Ayyappa, the deity the shrine is dedicated to, because he is celibate.... Read More

Kerala rains: Kerala on 'yellow alert, IMD predicts heavy rains on September 25'

The State Disaster Management Authority has instructed district authorities to be on alert and directed them to take necessary precautions.

Kerala Floods : Kerala, the State where the devastating rains, floods and landslides have taken a toll of hundreds of people, resulting in loss to the tune of over Rs 300 billion, is expected to receive heavy rainfalls on September 25, said the State government.

"Met department has predicted heavy rain (64.4mm to 124.4mm) in the districts of Pathanamthitta, Idukki & Wayanad districts for September 25. Moreover, yellow alert has been issued for Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur and Wayanad districts for 26th," said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Twitter.

These districts were among the worst affected during the recent deluge.

The State Disaster Management Authority has instructed district authorities to be on alert and directed them to take necessary precautions, he added.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, these districts are most likely to see heavy rains. Yellow alert is a warning colour code, which indicates the situation has to be watched and updated, while the next levels are orange and red, which respectively indicates 'Alert' (be prepared) and 'Warning' (Take Action).

Kerala had seen heavy rains, flood and landslides during the monsoon since the beginning of June, till the last week of August, disrupting normal life in at least 12 out of 14 districts. This resulted in an irreparable loss to thousands of people. These 12 states were on red alert for several days continuously.

The recent floods have taken the lives of 483 individuals, while 14 went missing and around 140 people were hospitalised. On August 21 alone around 14,50,707 individuals from 3,91,494 families were in relief camps, according to the official records.

The State has been in an effort to raise funds and rebuild the infrastructure. A central team is visiting the State to take stock of the losses and the State government is expected to submit its request for central assistance for both the losses and to rebuild the State. It has also sought the government officials to contribute a month's salary to the relief fund, in a Salary Challenge, which has also become a controversy as there were allegations that the State government is pressurising the government officials to pay the amount.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who arrived here on Sunday from the US after completing his treatment for an undisclosed ailment, urged Malayalees in the US to contribute liberally to rebuild the flood-hit state and said he hoped Rs 1.5 billion would be raised from them.....Read More

Businesss Standard

Kerala flood: Justice Kurian Joseph sings at event in Delhi to raise funds

The programme was attended by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and many other top court and Delhi High Court judges.

Kerala Floods : As the rain-battered Kerala is reeling under the aftermath of a devastating flood, Supreme Court Judge Kurian Joseph on Monday sang at a cultural event in Delhi to raise funds for the rehabilitation of people in the southern state.

The programme was attended by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and many other top court and Delhi High Court judges.

Also Read : Debates over religious issues distractions from relief efforts in Kerala

Addressing the audience here, Justice Misra said, "Some may feel that this is a celebration because there are certain performances, but I would like to say this is a consolidated effort of finding the energy to raise contribution for a noble cause."

Justice Joseph sang a Gospel song by Charles Albert Tindley 'We shall overcome someday', along with playback singer Mohit Chauhan who played the guitar.

As many as 357 people lost their lives so far, with the state incurring a loss of Rs 19,512 crore due to the deluge.

The flood-ravaged state has received financial help from various states, Central government, organisations and individuals.

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Udupi, Idukki record highest rainfall in 2018, serve future warning

Idukki, the epicentre of the flooding, recorded the highest rainfall in Kerala and second-highest rainfall (3,521 mm) of any Indian district over these 81 days.

Kerala Floods : Kerala now faces the ravages of the worst monsoon floods in 94 years, with 373 dead and more than 1.2 million in relief camps after 2,378 millimetre (mm) of rain over 81 days between June 1 and August 20, 2018–42% above normal or three times more than the Indian average for that period–according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Kerala is facing its worst flood in 100 years. 80 dams opened, 324 lives lost and 223139 people are in about 1500+ relief camps. Your help can rebuild the lives of the affected. Donate to https://t.co/FjYFEdOsyl #StandWithKerala.

With extreme weather events and variability increasing in urban and rural India, as IndiaSpend has previously reported, flooding is likely to become more common, the outcomes attributable as much to poor planning as climate change. In Kerala, the monsoons have generally decreased, and that was a reason the state was unprepared for such a ferocious monsoon, an IMD official told the Times of India on August 21, 2018.

Idukki, the epicentre of the flooding where 51 died, recorded the highest rainfall in Kerala and second-highest rainfall (3,521 mm) of any Indian district over these 81 days, 93% above normal, IMD data said. The highest rainfall in India was recorded over this period in Karnataka’s Udupi district (3,663 mm), which, however, was no more than 18% above its normal.

Kodagu in Karnataka, where 12 died after the district was ravaged by floods, faced the heaviest rainfall in 64 years, 290% above normal, between August 9 to August 15, 2018, according to IMD data.

Kerala received 255% excess or above-normal rainfall (98.4 mm) between August 9 and August 15, 2018, five times more than India’s average for that period, while Karnataka received 80% above-normal rainfall (50.3 mm) over the same period, 54% above India’s average, IMD data show.

In Kerala, 776 villages in 14 districts were flooded, with 1,398 houses “fully damaged” and 20,148 “partially damaged”, according to the government.

In 1924, Kerala received 3,368 mm of rainfall over 21 days, a deluge that appears to have been more intense than the 2,378 mm over 81 days in 2018. While there is no direct causal link between the latest floods and climate change, deforestation and human transformation of flood plains and mountain tops have been implicated.

Climate change, however, is the larger backdrop against which recent floods in India have been playing out, with more intense, more uncertain rainfall.

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Kerala rains: Toll rises to 79; PM asks MoD to step up relief & rescue ops

At least 79 people have perished, 25 of them on Thursday, since August 8 in Kerala's heaviest rain in almost 94 years.

Kerala Flood : At least 79 people have perished, 25 of them on Thursday, since August 8 in Kerala's heaviest rain in almost 94 years. The heavy rain, gusty winds, and the deluge has already destroyed more than 20,000 houses. As a result, more than 150,000 people are lodged in relief across the state. Kochi metro services have stopped, Kochi Airport closed till Saturday, and train services suspended between Chalakkudy and Aluva. Almost 10,000 km long roads have damaged in the ongoing monsoon in Kerala, according to NDTV.

The danger, just like the rain, isn't over. The IMD has issued red alerts in all districts for the next 24 hours. The weather department has warned of heavy rain accompanied with gusty winds with a speed up to 60 km per hour in all the 14 districts of the state, PTI reported.

ALSO READ:Kerala rain: Death toll rises to 67, Kochi airport shut; red alert issued

Power supply, communication systems and distribution of drinking water have been disrupted in various parts of the state in the rain mayhem which Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has described as the 'worse' natural calamity the state has seen in the longest time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked the Defence Ministry to further step up relief and rescue operations across Kerala which is facing a severe flood situation. He also spoke with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan again this morning. According to an NDTV report, airlifting of stranded people has begun.

"We discussed the flood situation in the state. Have asked Defence Ministry to further step up the rescue and relief operations across the state. Praying for the safety and well-being of the people of Kerala," the PM tweeted.

Reeling under the unprecedented havoc, the Kerala government on Tuesday decided to do away with the 'Onam' celebrations this year and instead utilise the amount for relief operations. Officials said a holiday has been declared for educational institutions in all districts barring Kasaragod tomorrow while colleges and universities have postponed exams.

Vijayan said the heavy rains would continue for some more days, which will further worsen the situation.



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Kerala rains: Two more shutters of Cheruthoni Dam opened, death toll 26

The South-west monsoon has been vigorous over Kerala resulting in heavy rains in various parts of the state since the past two days.

Kerala Floods : As heavy rains continued to lash various parts of Kerala, two more shutters of the Cheruthoni Dam, part of the Idukki Reservoir, were opened on Friday as the water level touched 2,401 feet.

For the first time in the last 26 years, a shutter of the Cheruthoni Dam was opened on Thursday and two more were opened at 7 am.

The full reservoir level is 2,403 feet and storage capacity is 69,268 Mcft and storage percentage is 97.61 per cent.

The South-west monsoon has been vigorous over Kerala resulting in heavy rains in various parts of the state since the past two days.

So far 26 people have been killed, including 11 in high range Idukki in landslips on Thursday as rain continued to pound the southern state.

Idukki has received 129.80 mm rainfall.

ALSO READ: Heavy rains, landslides claim 22 lives in Kerala in past 24 hours

With water levels rising in various dams and reaching almost maximum capacity, shutters of at least 22 reservoirs in the state have been opened to drain out excess water.

According to state disaster control room sources, 241 relief camps have been opened and 15,695 people have been shifted from low-lying areas.

Over 5,500 people from Wayanad district, where a red alert had been sounded Thursday, have been shifted to relief camps, the sources said this morning.

Ernakulam, 3,456 people have been shifted to camps following floods after 4 shutters of the Idamalayar dam were opened Thursday.

According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin at 8 am, thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds are likely to affect Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Wayanad districts.

The government has asked tourists not to go to high range areas and dam sites.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had described the flood situation in the state as "very grim" and it was for the first time in the history of the state that 24 dams had been opened at a time following the water level reaching maximum capacity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the Kerala Chief Minister on Thursday in the wake of heavy rains and floods in the state, and offered all possible assistance to those affected.

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