Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday underscored the importance of making the Sabarimala temple more universally accepted through developmental projects, while hitting out at his detractors for misinterpreting his administration’s efforts and attempting to create divisions.
The chief minister was speaking after inaugurating the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, a confluence of Ayyappa devotees, on the banks of the Pampa River, as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). The TDB is an autonomous body that administers Sabarimala, a hill shrine located in Pathanamthitta district, where the Hindu god Ayyappa is worshipped and which attracts lakhs of pilgrims every year, particularly between November and January.
The one-day Sangamam, at which around 3,500 pilgrim delegates from around the world are participating, was envisioned by the TDB as a platform where pilgrims and policymakers can share ideas on improving basic infrastructure without disturbing the fragile environment around it, crowd-control measures and ensuring a safe, peaceful pilgrimage. But the event ran into choppy waters initially after a petition was filed in the high court and later the Supreme Court attributing political objectives behind it. Both courts later greenlit the conclave.
“The government and the TDB should not unilaterally decide and implement what pilgrims want. The pilgrims must be consulted for it. This conclave is aimed at that...I’m happy that the devotees are cooperating with it. This is what true devotees can do. Those who use devotion as a disguise may have a special agenda or interest. They made all efforts to stop the conclave. It is encouraging that the Supreme Court put a stop to those efforts,” the CM said as part of his hour-long address.
{{/usCountry}}“The government and the TDB should not unilaterally decide and implement what pilgrims want. The pilgrims must be consulted for it. This conclave is aimed at that...I’m happy that the devotees are cooperating with it. This is what true devotees can do. Those who use devotion as a disguise may have a special agenda or interest. They made all efforts to stop the conclave. It is encouraging that the Supreme Court put a stop to those efforts,” the CM said as part of his hour-long address.
{{/usCountry}}The Communist chief minister even quoted from the Bhagavad Gita, a rarity in his public speeches, to emphasize his argument. He said the eight shlokas (hymns) in chapter 12 of the holy book clearly define how a devotee must be. “This is a conclave filled with such devotees, those who uphold the concept of devotion in the Gita,” he said.
The Sabarimala temple is a pilgrimage spot, he underlined, that shines with secular values and attracts all people regardless of caste and religion.
“The deity at Sabarimala is lulled into sleep every night with the song ‘Harivarasanam’ which has been composed by the atheist Devarajan Master and sung by KJ Yesudas, a Christian by birth. The pilgrims going to Sabarimala also offer prayers at the Vavar mosque and the Arthunkal church. How many such temples are there which stand as symbols of equality of all faiths? This makes Sabarimala extremely unique,” the CM said at the event where two ministers from Tamil Nadu along with several community outfit leaders participated.
In his address, the chief minister also answered critics who questioned the timing of the conclave, coming as it does just months before the state’s local body polls and Assembly polls.
“The answer to such questions is that as the flow of pilgrims rise with changing times, we need to think outside the box. It is unfortunate that some even went to court against the conclave. Such people are not guided by their devotion to Ayyappa or their concern for the environment,” he said.
He said that there is a section of people who argue that temples must be administered by devotees and released from the clutches of the government. The CM reminded that temples in the past used to be governed by devotees and often ended up in disrepair, thus propelling the idea for State-run administration. Many such temples were later restored and their staff financially protected, he added.
“During the pandemic, the State gave the Devaswom boards ₹140 crore for daily expenses. An additional ₹123 crore was released for repairs. Many people forget such truths,” he said, adding that his administration has spent around ₹650 crore for the modernisation of Devaswom boards since 2016.
At the same time, Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, who had declined his invitation to the conclave, reiterated that the chief minister put on a false veneer of devotion at the Ayyappa conclave with the local body and Assembly elections in mind.
“The LDF government has not carried out any developmental works in Sabarimala in the past nine-and-a-half years. It has now come out with a supposed ‘Masterplan’ to deceive the public. The government has not clarified whether it will withdraw the affidavit it filed in the Supreme Court in favour of women’s entry at Sabarimala. It has also maintained silence about the cases it filed against devotees during the 2018 agitation,” Satheesan said.