In the Vattiyoorkavu constituency in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram, a jeep deployed for Congress candidate K Muralidharan blared a pre-recorded message as the vehicle flitted in and out of key neighbourhoods – ‘Never forget that this government forcibly chauffeured a couple of young women through the back door of Sabarimala to help break age-old traditions of the temple. On April 9, when you step out to vote, never forget it.’
In the neighboring Nemom constituency, where Bharatiya Janata Party state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar is mounting a battle to open the party’s account in the state assembly, the roads are choc-a-bloc with saffron placards and posters about Sabarimala; all speak about gold being stolen from several temple assets, including door frames, by a gang allegedly involving top political leaders and ‘devaswom’ (temple administration) officials. “Ambalakallanmarku vote illa’ (No vote for temple looters),” the posters read.
As the date of polling in the assembly elections inch closer in Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the BJP are seizing on developments around the Sabarimala temple to attack the incumbent Left Democratic Front government. The campaign against the LDF is two-pronged – one, the LDF government’s stance backing the Supreme Court’s landmark 2018 verdict allowing the entry of women of all ages into the shrine, and two,the arrest of top Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders, including former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president A Padmakumar, in the case of misappropriation of gold assets.
The opposition parties are hoping that the issues will convince millions of Ayyappa devotees and other Hindu faithful to vote against the LDF — especially when the Supreme Court starts hearing the case afresh on April 7.
Outgoing LoP VD Satheesan questioned the CPI(M) for not taking any action on the leaders arrested in the gold theft so far. “The accused were able to come out because the charge sheet was delayed. One of the major accused, A Padmakumar, continues to be a district committee member of CPI(M),” he said.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said his party is committed to protecting the ‘faith and beliefs’ of Sabarimala pilgrims. “CPI(M) leaders were involved in the loot. That’s why the case is not progressing at fast pace,” he said.
In response, the LDF appeared to have softened its stance. In March, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government told the Supreme Court that the issue must be revisited after hearing the “impartial opinion of social reformers and religious scholars” — a climbdown from its earlier vociferous support of the top court’s 2018 verdict. CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan told reporters on March 13 that the party asked the government to examine all constitutional aspects before filing a response before the top court. When asked whether it stood with the faithful, he said, “The CPI(M) has always considered the feelings of the faithful.”
In the gold misappropriation case, the LDF government was accused of shielding booked leaders and applying pressure on the special investigation team. It has denied the charges of interfering in the SIT probe and has distanced itself from the leaders charged in the case so far.
CPM state secretary MV Govindan had told HT earlier, “It is the media’s campaign that the party will be in trouble if it doesn’t take action. That’s not what the public thinks. On the first day, I said that not an inch of the gold that belongs to Sabarimala must be lost. Anyone who has caused such a loss of gold must be brought before the law.”
Political commentator Sreejith Panickar said the current position of the LDF was a clear reversal of its stance in the 2008 affidavit before the top court. “In that affidavit, while it had asked for consultations with wider religious experts, the VS Achuthanandan-led government had clearly stated that women must also have whatever privileges men have in religious places. So, now they are backtracking in view of elections,” he said.
The issue is expected to play out prominently in all seats where Hindu voters form a majority in districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur. It will have a direct impact on constituencies like Konni and Ranni in Pathanamthitta district where the Sabarimala temple is located.
S Jayashankar, advocate and political analyst, said that the LDF softening its stand on Sabarimala is likely to minimise the damage its earlier stand had among Hindu faithful.
“It may have been a non-issue during the 2021 Assembly election campaign, but along with the gold theft case, it is prominent on the minds of voters. Ayyappa is a deity held in great reverence especially among the Hindu backward communities like Ezhavas. The Ezhavas also happen to be the principal voting bloc of the Left front. The large-scale loot of gold was carried out allegedly by Left leaders along with Devaswom officials. And the party has not been able to successfully defend itself,” he said.
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