There is every reason to suspect a conscious attempt to separate Sabarimala Devaswom from the ambit of Travancore Devaswom Board and set up an independent administrative authority for it behind the reported government move to enact a special legislation for administration of the hill shrine, former TDB president and Congress leader Prayar Gopalakrishnan has said.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr Gopalakrishnan alleged that the government move to enact a special law for Sabarimala administration was aimed at creating more troubles and anarchy at south India’s largest pilgrimage centre.
Mr Gopalakrishnan said the government should retreat from all such moves that could only destroy the sanctity of Sabarimala. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) that rules the State were birds of the same feather when it came to matters relating to Sabarimala, he alleged. Both the parties had adopted an anti-devotee stand on matters relating to Sabarimala, he alleged.
The irony in the Chief Minister’s statement reiterating the government’s proclaimed stand on Sabarimala was very much evident, as it came immediately after the statement made by the CPI(M) State secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, that the party would ensure due protection of the devotees’ interest at Sabarimala, Mr Gopalakrishnan alleged.
The CPI(M) state secretary’s statement and the Chief Minister’s clarification were nothing but part of the ruling party’s political tactics against the backdrop of the ensuing Assembly by-elections in the State, he alleged.
Ayyappa Dharma Samrakshana Samiti
The former TDB chief said he would soon float a new organisation, Ayyappa Dharma Samrakshana Samiti, aimed at protecting the faith, ritualistic tradition, and practices at Sabarimala.
He said the samiti would set up an ashram at Vadasserikkara, a major transit camp of Sabarimala pilgrims, to co-ordinate its functioning. When asked whether he had got any plan to contest in the forthcoming Assembly by-elections, Mr Gopalakrishnan said he would contest from Konni, if the Congress leadership asked him to do so.
