KOCHI: On September 28, 2018, when the Supreme Court declared the custom of prohibiting women in their ‘menstruating years’ from entering Sabarimala temple as unconstitutional, devotees in Kerala were confused.
The liberals celebrated the order, and the resistance was feeble. However, the Pandalam royal family gave a call to organise a protest rally from Medical Mission Junction to Pandalam Ayyappa temple on October 2. Later, Nair Service Society (NSS) general secretary G Sukumaran Nair came out in support of the rally.
By afternoon on October 2, women started gathering in Pandalam town and by 3pm, traffic on MC Road came to a grinding halt. The police, who had expected 5,000 people, had to plead with the organisers to disperse the gathering. That became the turning point in the Sabarimala agitation. The NSS’ bold stand inspired Hindu organisations to unite against what they viewed as the violation of the temple’s customs.
Once known as the martial nobility and agriculturists, who held huge tracts of land, the decline of the Nair community started with the enactment of the Kerala Land Reforms Act in 1963. However, while the Nairs, forming 12.5% of the population, may not be a force to reckon with, the community is well organised and has always succeeded in overriding caste equations and commanding key positions.
And though its relationship with the ruling CPM has not been cordial, the community has 20 MLAs and seven ministers in Pinarayi 2.0. Compared to other caste groups, Nairs have always been successful in claiming hegemony.
“It’s because we have maintained an equidistance policy and do not go after politicians for favours,” explains Sukumaran Nair.
“The NSS is duty bound to protect the faith, rituals and practices of the Hindu community and will oppose any move to violate the sanctity of the temples. Our stand has been consistent, whether it was Sabarimala, Padmanabha Swamy temple or the row over terming Lord Ganapathy as a myth. We never demand any position. Have you seen any statement from NSS demanding favours based on caste equations? We don’t interfere in politics, but will oppose any move that violates our rights,” said Sukumaran Nair.
From the days of Vimochana Samaram (Liberation Struggle) of 1959, NSS was known to be staunch supporters of Congress. The anti-forward caste narrative of the communists, who projected themselves as champions of the backward classes, helped Congress to get NSS on its side. However, the influence of BJP has been growing in the community recently.
The NSS leadership came under attack from Hindu organisations for its decision to participate in the government-organised Global Ayyappa Meet. Defending the decision, Sukumaran Nair said, “The decision was not taken in favour of the ruling party. We opposed the government when it violated the practices of Sabarimala temple. However, the same government changed its stand understanding the sentiments of devotees and invited us to participate.
The meet aimed at improving the facilities at Sabarimala. How could we oppose it?” “I told the government that if the objective of the conference was to improve facilities of devotees, we will support. That doesn’t mean that I am supporting the CM,” he said.
With around 5,300 Karayogams (local units) across the state, the NSS has sway over the community members. It supports the livelihood of around 2 lakh women through the 20,000-odd women self-help groups. This network helps NSS have direct influence among community members at the grassroots. These women had volunteered to lead the Sabarimala protest rally on October 2, 2018, in Pandalam.
While a majority of the Nair community was traditionally supporters of the Congress party, around 20% members were aligned to the Communist party. However, the BJP claims that around 50% of the Nairs have switched their loyalty towards the saffron party.
The fact that a majority of the former CMs were from the Nair community underscores its political influence. Also, all four CM aspirants in the Congress – Ramesh Chennithala, V D Satheesan, K C Venugopal and Shashi Tharoor – are from the community.