After the initial hype about the Sabarimala verdict, the protests at Sabarimala, and the scuffle that ensued between the police and the protesters, the five-day darshan period passed off without any incidents of large-scale violence. Some women did go with the hope of praying to Ayyappa, but they decided not to escalate the situation. The entire episode did reveal some interesting facts.
Pilgrims visit Sabarimala wearing a black shirt or black towel and a black dhoti, locally known as mundu. They wear black because it used to camouflage people from wild animals when they used to travel through forests in olden times. Also, it insulates the body from cold. The need became the traditional attire with time. Though saffron coloured dhoti, locally known as kaavi mundu, is allowed, no Sabarimala pilgrim ever wears it. None of the devotees wearing black dhoti was seen protesting against the entry of women. Those protesting were all wearing the saffron-coloured dhoti. Clearly, they weren’t devotees who came to pray to Ayyappa. They were in Sabarimala to organise the protest. If they were not pilgrims, what business did they have in Sabarimala? If pilgrims were not protesting against the entry of women, then what right and reason did the protesters have to oppose?
It was very evident that the BJP organised the protests and RSS, who had initially applauded the Supreme Court verdict but later realised that they wouldn’t get any political mileage out of it once Kerala government decided to obey the order without filing a review petition. That was the first time they found themselves flat-footed on the issue. Then the protests were organised with the hope that Kerala government would forcefully try to vacate protesters from Sabarimala premises and BJP and RSS could use that as the opportunity to unleash violence across the state and country, the way they did with the Ayodhya temple issue. This is where the Kerala government outwitted and outsmarted them. The police and authorities did nothing to resist the protesters. They escorted women pilgrims to the shrine until thee point where protesters blocked their way. Then police officers advised them about their safety and persuaded them to return.
Kerala government will file a report with the Supreme Court informing it about how and why the government was not able to implement the Court’s order. They have deftly left the decision to the Court and the people. Thus, have thwarted all attempts to create communal disharmony for now. The temple opens every month for five days, so the threat has not passed. I believe the government will seek SC’s recommendations for implementing the order in the coming months. The latest news is that the government has tracked down and arrested 1400 protesters and cases have registered against them. This has further strengthened their standing in the judiciary.
This is the second time BJP and RSS have failed to manage perceptions in Kerala. First, Kerala unanimously rejected their beef ban propaganda. Now, they have got absolutely nothing from the Sabarimala facade. Their strategy to polarise Hindu votes in India will never succeed as long as Kerala stands as a beacon of communal harmony. This is why they are using every possible strategy to get their footprints across Kerala and destroy states’ societal structure. The frequency with which BJP top leadership have been travelling to Kerala is the best indicator of their attempts to make inroads in the state. But, Kerala has always been way too mature and evolved to fall into their ignominious traps.
Earlier, a picture of a sea of people that had gathered to see movie star Sunny Leone in Kochi was circulating on social media. BJP’s IT cell tried to shamefully show off the photo as the crowd gathered during Amit Shah’s rally in Kerala. This goes on to show how low they can stoop to have their way. It was immediately called out on social media, and they got trolled mercilessly.
Meanwhile, Union minister Smriti Irani has made bizarre remarks on the issue, reflecting her ignorance. Hindu women, especially in Kerala, do not visit any temples during their menstruation cycles. This is a practice that has been in vogue for thousands of years. Whatever she has said has absolutely no relevance to the situation so it can be safely ignored.
All Hindu scriptures and texts have stressed the importance of our karma over everything else. None of those texts has advised people to choose God and divinity over karma. None of the Hindus who know this will go to protest in Sabarimala. The irony is, the ones who don’t know anything about Hinduism are the ones who are trying to be the protectors of Hinduism and Hindu Gods.
Someone tried to abuse me on Twitter, stating that blind communists, like me, are the curse of Kerala. I support no political parties, only good governance. I have no hesitation in calling a spade a spade. In the same vein, regardless of all affiliations, I stand with anyone who will safeguard the communal harmony of Kerala and India.