THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Political parties in the state are a confused lot after the Supreme Court pronounced the verdict on Sabarimala on Saturday, allowing women in the 10-50 age group to enter the hill shrine. The Congress can claim to be the only party with a clear stand on the issue, with Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala calling the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to move a review petition in the apex court.
Chennithala, who had tweeted the Express editorial (Sunday, September 30), which said Sabarimala Ayyappa is a Naishtika Brahmachari practising the severest form of celibacy and, in that state, he is restricted from women’s presence. While speaking to Express, Chennithala said: “As soon as I finished reading the editorial in Express, I tweeted. My position is clear in this. TDB should go for review in the Supreme Court as the customs and rituals of temples are in practice for ages.”
The CPM, the leading party in the LDF Government, is confused. While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called for immediate action and implementation of the court order, TDB president A Padmakumar, a former CPM MLA, wanted to go for appeal. “The Board will move a review petition in the Supreme Court on this matter and let’s see what happens,” Padmakumar told media persons.
The CPM is trying to play a decisive political game, with the party and government welcoming the decision and TDB president opposing it. It seems to be a ploy of the party to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. Rather, a political jugglery to cater to the Hindu vote bank as well as create a position among the liberal intelligentsia that the party is with them.
Caught in a bind
The BJP-RSS combine is also confused. While the RSS leaders have welcomed the judgment, BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai was guarded in his reaction. Speaking to the media on Saturday, he said: “I’m neither welcoming the judgment nor rejecting it. I’ll take a position after properly studying it.”
While the RSS has taken an open stance that it is welcoming the verdict, several former RSS pracharaks are opposed to it. A former pracharak from Kannur said: “I feel betrayed. Why’s the RSS welcoming such a judgment? I can never support this.”P C George MLA opposed the verdict. “I don’t think women in the 10-50 age group will go to the temple even though SC has given the judgment.”