IRINJALAKUDA: The decision of Koodalmanikyam Devaswom to block the Kizhakke-Thekke Nada pathway to vehicular traffic has kicked up a storm with organisations such as Swathanthra Pulaya Maha Sabha (SPMS) and Kerala Pulaya Maha Sabha (KPMS) protesting against the move. The struggle has also drawn several parallels with the famed 1946 Kuttamkulam struggle.
The Congress-led Devasom is facing a barrage of public statements, even from within the party, urging them to open the lane. Pulaya residents on the temple premises, mostly from Peruvallipadam, told Express that it was an autocratic decision by the Devaswom authorities.
“Even 10 years after the temple entry proclamation came into effect, a theendu palaka demarcating the boundary which avarnas could not cross, was placed close to the Koodalmanikyam temple. The Kuttamkulam struggle for the right of passage was stirred up when Savarna Hindus reportedly spat on a group of lower-caste women passing by. In this current era, there are no such instances of discrimination, but we still doubt it,” SPMS leader Aditya Kumar said.
“The Thekke Nada pathway is mainly used by Pulayans. But there is no move against the Vadakke and Padinjare pathways, which are mainly used by upper caste Hindus. Moreover, the Devaswom refuses to hold talks with us. Instead, they are holding discussions with an upper caste-dominated outfit. The government had also done some renovation on the road in question,” Aditya Kumar said.
However, Devaswom chairman Panambilly Raghava Menon said they received no complaint from the Pulaya Maha Sabha regarding the matter.
“There were several instances of chain theft and accidents in the Kizhakke-Thekke Nada pathway. We closed it as directed by the police and the District Collector. It was also a measure to preserve the compound wall. As of now, two-wheelers can pass through the pathway,” he said.
When contacted, Irinjalakuda SI said a chain theft case was reported recently, but no accidents on the road had come to their notice.
The rift within the Congress party has also been ushered into spotlight in the course of events in the past two days, starting with KPCC general secretary MP Jackson flaying the Devaswom decision to block the pathway and called for immediate solution to issues. “The Devaswom cannot take an autocratic decision without consulting the public,” Jackson said. Soon afterwards, Devaswom chairman and DCC general secretary M S Anilkumar countered the charges, saying such statements were driven by vested interests.