PATHANAMTHITTA: With the Global Ayyappa Sangamam set to bring thousands of devotees to Pathanamthitta, the political undercurrents in Pandalam - the traditional bastion of the erstwhile royal family associated with Lord Ayyappa - are once again coming into sharp focus.
The Sangamam, billed as a spiritual congregation with participation of more than 3,000 devotees and dignitaries from across the world, has already created waves beyond the precincts of Sabarimala. For many, the mobilisation by right-wing outfits around the event draws unmistakable parallels with the BJP’s political surge during the 2018 Sabarimala agitation.
In a notable shift, however, the Pandalam royal family, whose fierce opposition to the Supreme Court verdict permitting women’s entry into Sabarimala fuelled the Sangh parivar’s rise seven years ago, has toned down its opposition.
Though the family initially kept silent over the issue, later on Wednesday, it cited rituals following the demise of two family members as the immediate reason to refrain from the Sangamam.
But its management committee made clear its discontent with the state government and Travancore Devaswom Board.
According to an official statement, the committee reiterated two long-standing demands - a complete withdrawal of cases registered in connection with the 2018 women’s entry protests, and a sworn assurance from the state government that it would not deviate from temple traditions in the future.
The statement underlined that the failure to act on these concerns had forced the family to distance itself from the event.
Even without their presence, the Sangamam has stirred the political landscape ahead of the local body elections. For the Congress, which continues to hold the government responsible for enabling the women’s entry episode, the event is another opportunity to target both the ruling dispensation and the Sangh parivar’s attempts to reignite the issue.
But unlike 2018, when the Supreme Court verdict set off a wave of resentment that directly benefited the BJP, the Sangh parivar’s mobilisation does not enjoy the same traction today. The saffron party, which had capitalised on the royal family’s opposition to the verdict to wrest control of Pandalam municipality, now finds itself constrained by internal conflicts.