Petition filed in Kerala HC to end discrimination at Sabarimala Vavar Mosque

Hindu Seva Kendram has approached The Kerala High Court seeking a directive to the Kottayam District Judge to conduct a proper inquiry in the affairs of the Vavar Masjid at Erumeli and Sannidhanam. The Muslim shrine is an intrinsic part of the Sabarimala pilgrimage. 
 
The petitioner, Sreekumar Mankuzhy representing the organization that claims to be involved in the propagation and protection of Sanatana Dharma has sought to also enquire about the difficulties faced by the devotees, deficiencies in management, maintenance of hygiene, and appropriate utilization of offerings. 

The counsel of the petitioner lead by R Krishna Raj, R Prathish, E S Soni and Sangeeta has sought the district judge of Kottayam to submit a report before the Kerala High Court.

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'Kottayam District Judge has refused to act on SC directive'

The petition states that the Kottayam District Judge has ‘refused to act’ on the Supreme Court directive of 2018 where District judge throughout India is given the power to examine certain matters related to ‘difficulties faced by the visitors’ of all shrines, irrespective of religion.  

“Here the High court will treat the report submitted by the district judge as public interest litigation. But since there is a refusal to submit a report, the devotees are facing trouble,” R Krishna Raj told Republic TV. 

The petitioner further sought a directive to the authorities of the masjid to permit the entry of Sabarimala pilgrims irrespective of gender discrimination inside the Vavar Masjid for prayers.

The petitioner also laments that there is gross gender discrimination in the Vavar mosque and pilgrims are barred to offer prayers in the mosque and are instead forced to pass through the outside veranda of mosque encircling the same.’
Calling the Vavar mosque as an integral part of Sabarimala pilgrimage, the petition says that devotees offer a large amount of money at the Vavar shrine in Erumely and Sannidhanam and that qualifies it to be a public place of worship and thus qualifies to be under the supervision of the government and the court.

“The only revenue of the mosque is from Sabarimala devotees offering.  But they are denied entry into the mosque,” says the counsel for the petitioner.

He also said that crores of rupees are collected by the mosque through Sabarimala pilgrims  yet no facilities are offered to pilgrims by the governing body of the mosque.“Here the High court will treat the report submitted by the district judge as public interest litigation. But since there is a refusal to submit a report, the devotees are facing trouble,” the counsel told Republic TV.  The petition is likely to be heard early next week.

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