UDF, CPI urge rethink of ‘no spot booking’ call for Sabarimala, CPM joins chorus

Close on the heels of the government decision to discontinue spot booking, a slew of protests erupted.
Members of Travancore Devaswom Employees Front during a dharna in front of the Secretariat on Monday demanding reinstatement of spot booking for Sabarimala pilgrims
Members of Travancore Devaswom Employees Front during a dharna in front of the Secretariat on Monday demanding reinstatement of spot booking for Sabarimala pilgrims Photo | Vincent Pulickal
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T’PURAM/KOZHIKODE/P’THITTA : The state government’s decision to do away with spot booking for Sabarimala darshan is fast moving towards a flashpoint with protests erupting from various quarters, bringing back memories of the 2018 agitation against the entry of women in the hill shrine.

Sensing political backlash, the CPM has urged the government not to discontinue spot booking. “Both online booking and spot booking should be allowed at Sabarimala. No pilgrims should be denied darshan,” CPM state secretary M V Govindan told reporters in Varakala on Monday.

Earlier, the Opposition Congress as well as ruling LDF ally CPI had come out in the open against abandoning spot booking, warning that the RSS might exploit the situation for political gains.

Close on the heels of the government decision to discontinue spot booking, a slew of protests erupted. The Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam held a protest meeting in front of the Pathanamthitta Collectorate on Monday. Criticising the decision, Akkeeraman Kalidasa Bhattathiri said, it seems devotees will now have to offer obeisances at Akshaya Centres for darshan. Warning the government to not trouble the deity, he said things would spiral out of control if trouble erupts at Sabarimala again. “It seems the government and the Devaswom Board have no clue about the issue,” he mocked.

Members of Travancore Devaswom Employees Front during a dharna in front of the Secretariat on Monday demanding reinstatement of spot booking for Sabarimala pilgrims
Sabarimala pilgrims may get limited spot booking option

In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan sought reinstatement of spot booking. He said last year despite allowing 90,000 pilgrims via online and another 15,000 via spot booking, thousands could not get darshan.

He warned of serious repercussions if darshan is restricted to just online booking, and said pilgrims from other states would find difficulties. Congress state president K Sudhakaran, MP Shashi Tharoor and K Muraleedharan too demanded that spot booking be brought back. Sudhakaran said unscientific reforms can have far-reaching consequences.

CPM accuses BJP of trying to ignite riots in Sabarimala

Sudhakaran said the state government should give up needless dogma on spot booking. Tharoor remarked that the new move would pose a challenge to devotees. Muraleedharan also blamed the LDF government for taking an irrational decision that would only serve to dampen the morale of pilgrims.

Meanwhile, the move hasn’t gone down well with many in the LDF. The CPM Pathanamthitta district committee is of the view that spot booking should be allowed. The issue should not affect devotees and if implemented, would only hand BJP a much-needed political boost, it felt.

Urging the government to reconsider, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam warned, “There will be attempts to trigger moves against the government by misleading the devotees. The RSS could use the situation to make political gains. While allowing online booking for darshan, spot booking should not be done away with. If devotees return without darshan, the RSS would try to use it as a political weapon to make gains.”

Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar wrote to Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan seeking to restart operation of spot booking centres at different places including Pandalam.

The CPM leadership, meanwhile, accused the BJP of trying to incite unrest with vested motives. At a party event in Taliparamba, Govindan asserted that the BJP was manipulating religious sentiments to further its political agenda. “The BJP is trying to ignite riots at Sabarimala, using religious beliefs as a political tool. However, the CPM has consistently resisted such divisive tactics,” he said. He alleged that efforts are being made to turn Sabarimala into a hotspot for conflict, under the guise of darshan access.

“The devaswom minister and the Travancore Devaswom Board president have already assured that darshan will be accessible to everyone through its virtual queue. No devotee will be denied entry. Unfortunately, sectarian forces are weaponising faith to foster religious polarization. We have successfully resisted similar insurgent efforts in the past,” Govindan s.

At its recent meeting, the TDB had decided to consider limited spot booking facility for this season. A section in the TDB feels that the spot booking should continue for this year too. The board, however, decided to wait for the government to take a final call.

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