Sabarimala official warns pilgrims of prosecution if they discard clothes in Pamba river
Sabarimala pilgrims
CHENNAI: Sabarimala pilgrims who discard clothes and other belongings in the Pamba river
as part of a misconceived religious tenet would face penal consequences
which may lead to a jail term up to 18 months, special commissioner of
the hill shrine has warned.
Quoting a Kerala high court order dating October 16, special commissioner and district judge K Babu said discarding used clothes and personal belongings into the holy Pamba river was never a practice or custom at the shrine.
Besides the person committing the crime, those accompanying him and encouraging him could be treated as abettors and tried for the same offence, Babu said.
Affairs of Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha temple are directly controlled by Kerala high court, and a serving district judge holds charge as special commissioner as well.
Irked by the nuisance of pilgrims polluting the Pamba river by letting off various items, including used clothes of late, the high court on October 16 declared that indulging in such acts would tantamount to an offence under the provisions of the Water Act.
It said, "Discarding of clothes or any other materials, including personal belongings, whether biodegradable or not, into the waters of Pamba by any person is in violation of the provisions of the Water Act, and would therefore generate sufficient basis to consider initiating prosecution for violation of the provisions of the Water Act. When such prosecution results in conviction, the accused would never have any go but to suffer the minimum mandatory sentence of imprisonment for one and half years."
Abettors too are liable to be punished to the same extent as the principal offender, it said, adding, a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and six months would be awarded to such people.
Unable to trace the practice to any religious requirement or tenet, the high court said: "We do not see any ebb of custom or usage or part of religious practice, ritual or otherwise, in connection with Sabarimala pilgrimage which requires or obliges or permits any person who is a pilgrim to discard used clothes and other personal belongings of whatever nature into the Pamba river."
"There is absolutely no practice or usage or religious tenet whatsoever which advise that a person after having darshan of Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha should discard the clothes and other belongings which that person wore or carried to Sabarimala while proceeding to that pristine destination amidst the forest, as a pilgrim."
Babu, citing the order, requested pilgrims and guruswamis [leader of a group of pilgrims] not to discard anything into the Pamba river during the coming pilgrim season which commences with the opening of the temple on November 17.
Quoting a Kerala high court order dating October 16, special commissioner and district judge K Babu said discarding used clothes and personal belongings into the holy Pamba river was never a practice or custom at the shrine.
Besides the person committing the crime, those accompanying him and encouraging him could be treated as abettors and tried for the same offence, Babu said.
Affairs of Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha temple are directly controlled by Kerala high court, and a serving district judge holds charge as special commissioner as well.
Irked by the nuisance of pilgrims polluting the Pamba river by letting off various items, including used clothes of late, the high court on October 16 declared that indulging in such acts would tantamount to an offence under the provisions of the Water Act.
It said, "Discarding of clothes or any other materials, including personal belongings, whether biodegradable or not, into the waters of Pamba by any person is in violation of the provisions of the Water Act, and would therefore generate sufficient basis to consider initiating prosecution for violation of the provisions of the Water Act. When such prosecution results in conviction, the accused would never have any go but to suffer the minimum mandatory sentence of imprisonment for one and half years."
Abettors too are liable to be punished to the same extent as the principal offender, it said, adding, a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and six months would be awarded to such people.
Unable to trace the practice to any religious requirement or tenet, the high court said: "We do not see any ebb of custom or usage or part of religious practice, ritual or otherwise, in connection with Sabarimala pilgrimage which requires or obliges or permits any person who is a pilgrim to discard used clothes and other personal belongings of whatever nature into the Pamba river."
"There is absolutely no practice or usage or religious tenet whatsoever which advise that a person after having darshan of Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha should discard the clothes and other belongings which that person wore or carried to Sabarimala while proceeding to that pristine destination amidst the forest, as a pilgrim."
Babu, citing the order, requested pilgrims and guruswamis [leader of a group of pilgrims] not to discard anything into the Pamba river during the coming pilgrim season which commences with the opening of the temple on November 17.
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