PATHANAMTHITTA: Quoting from Bhagavad Gita to delineate qualities of a true devotee and pitching Sabarimala as a rare shrine that embodies secular spirituality, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday donned an all-new avatar. In an earnest effort to win back the lost mass base among the Hindu community after the Sabarimala women entry fiasco, he rolled out a detailed road map for the future development of the hill shrine.
Eyeing a consecutive third term, the Left leader sent out an evident political message ahead of the elections, as he said at the Global Ayyappa Sangamam in Pampa that Sabarimala’s uniqueness lay in transcending religious divides and attracting devotees from across faiths.
Noticeably, the CM received praise from SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan who termed Pinarayi a true devotee at heart. Vellappally, who arrived at the venue along with Pinarayi in his official vehicle, described Pinarayi as the only leader with the quality to become a CM again. At a time when the UDF and the BJP have been eyeing inroads into the Ezhava community, the Left was able to send out a message through Vellappally.
Billed as a mega event by the Travancore Devaswom Board to transform Sabarimala into a global destination, the event had two ministers from Tamil Nadu in attendance, in addition to an array of prominent people from the state. Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan, who presided over the meet, read out the message from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extending wishes to the meet. In a marked shift from his Marxist vocabulary, Pinarayi dipped into the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ during his inaugural address.
Pinarayi a devotee at heart: Vellappally
“The Gita, in its 12th chapter, starts with ‘adveshta sarva-bhutanam maitrah karuna eva cha’, clearly defining a devotee as one who harbours no hatred, shows friendship and compassion to all, and remains equanimous in joy and sorrow. That is the kind of devotion reflected here,” Pinarayi said.
Asserting that the meet aims to showcase the shrine’s unique ethos to the world, he lashed out at ‘detractors of Sabarimala’, without naming anyone. He said Sabarimala’s uniqueness lay in its ability to transcend religious divides and attract devotees from across faiths.
Referring to the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru and Chattampi Swamikal, the CM said the shrine’s message was of inclusivity, not exclusion. “The temple sings ‘Harivarasanam’, composed by an atheist Devarajan Master and rendered by Yesudas, who was born a Christian,” he said.
He also referred to the traditions of worship along the pilgrimage route, from Vavar to the offerings at Arthunkal church, to reiterate that Sabarimala is a symbol of communal harmony. “How many temples in the world can claim this kind of inter-faith connect?” he asked.
Defending the Sangamam against critics who questioned its timing, Pinarayi accused opponents of indulging in parochial political propaganda. “This has nothing to do with appeasing anyone. The aim is to think afresh... to present Sabarimala globally on the lines of Tirupati or Madurai,” he said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Vellappally stressed that in all likelihood, Pinarayi would get a third term. “Even though all these people speak of atheism for ideology’s sake, 90% of those who come to see Ayyappan are communists,” he said. Terming the Sangamam a success, Vellappally termed Pinarayi as a natural leader.
He described Pinarayi as both a believer and the only leader with ‘leadership quality’ to take Kerala forward. “Pinarayi may speak of rationalism, but in his heart, he is a devotee. He has even visited Sabarimala twice,” he said.
The UDF, meanwhile, unleashed a blistering attack on the CM with regard to the Ayyappa Sangamam. “Inaugurating the meet, the CM spoke like a fake devotee,” alleged Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan.
“Keeping in mind local body and assembly elections, Pinarayi wore an aura of devotion, which barely suits him. Unmindful of the atrocities carried out at Sabarimala, he chose to embrace the aura of devotion,” said Satheesan.
Terming the Sangamam a total failure, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the devotees fully rejected the meet. “Despite spending crores, the event failed to make any impact,” he said.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Ayyappa devotees stayed away from the event as they have realised the Pinarayi government’s politicking in the name of the meet.
With inputs from Thiruvananthapuram