THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday called for an uncompromising stand against attempts to drag the society backwards. After inaugurating the 82nd anniversary celebrations of the Temple Entry Proclamation by beating a drum, the Chief Minister said conservatives who try to block the natural progress of society have always found themselves brushed aside. Today’s secular society has, in general, adopted a stance against regressive attitudes, he said.
Conservative elements have, at all times, revolted against reforms, he said. Recalling the episode of Panchami, the Dalit girl who was denied admission in school, Vijayan said that the people who opposed her entry are no longer remembered. Likewise, the orthodox who opposed the Temple Entry Proclamation also were dumped into the dustbins of history, he said.
It would be erroneous to view the Temple Entry Proclamation in isolation. Rather than a charity offered by the then rulers, it was in reality the direct consequence of enduring struggles and subaltern political movements, he said. The renaissance movement in the state was a comprehensive force that affected all sections of the society. It began with the fight against casteist oppression, subsequently evolving into something that transformed the entire society.
Even in times when temple entry was restricted to the upper class in Travancore, Sabarimala had been accessible to all, without exception. But now, attempts are being made to destroy that tradition, Vijayan said.
On the rationale of celebrating the 82nd anniversary when the 81st or 80th were not, the Chief Minister said the scenario in Kerala was different now from the times of the 80th and 81st anniversaries. It was high time that the relevance of the proclamation was once again widely discussed in the society. In a bid to take the message to the younger generation, the government planned to hold the exhibition in schools and colleges, he said.
The four-day celebrations are organised by the departments of Information and Public Relations, Cultural Affairs, Archives and Archaeology. Cultural Affairs Minister A K Balan presided over the inaugural. Ministers E Chandrasekharan, A K Saseendran, Ramachandran Kadannapally and Kadakampally Surendran and A Sampath MP were present.