Belying their dire predictions that the Sangamam would be an unmitigated flop, the banks of Pampa river saw the smooth conduct of the event, meant to discuss the Master Plan for the future development of the famed hill shrine Sabarimala. Everything went off with clockwork-like precision. This was too much for the Government’s critics, who wanted it to be a washout.

Inaugurating the Sangamam at Pampa, organised as part of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB)’s platinum jubilee celebrations, , Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lambasted the vested interests attempting to derail development initiatives at Sabarimala. Quoting the Bhagavad Gita, Pinarayi said a true devotee is “one who hates nothing, is friendly and kind to everyone, indifferent to happiness and sorrow, and tolerant.”

“Times are changing, pilgrim members are rising and we must think and act accordingly. It is unfortunate that some even went to court to block this(event). Was it truly out of devotion to Lord Ayyappa, concern for forest conservation, or religious purity? Everyone knows that is not the case,” he said.

He emphasized the urgent need to strengthen the humanist ethos of Sabarimala, encapsulated in the fundamental dictum of the Ayyappa faith, ‘Thathwamasi,’ which entails “sameness of humankind.”

Sabarimala, the CM said, is beyond caste and religious boundaries, with people of all faith undertaking the pilgrimage, adding that this inclusive character of Sabarimala must be highlighted globally, which requires improved facilities to attract devotees from around the world by protecting the environment and sanctity of the temple. The Sangamam was not decided in a hurry but was the result of years of deliberation, he pointed out.

Rebutting the criticism of the critics, Pinarayi said his government had spent, so far Rs 640 crore for the development of Sabarimala. No other Government has done as m much he said. According to the CM, the master plan looked ahead to 2050, with its focus on integrated development of the Sannidanam, Pampa river the traditional paths and Nilackal.

The biggest setback for the saffron camp was that the Sangamam was attended by as many as 28 Hindu organisations, despite the caution of the Hindutva camp. Among them Kerala Pulaya Mahasabha and the organization of Brahmins besides the group of Mala Arayans.

To the utter dismay of the government baiters, the Sangamam decided to set up an 18-member committee to examine and implement the plethora of suggestions that emerged from the event. Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan said preparations have already begun to ensure a smooth pilgrimage season this year.

The organisers of the Sangamam said the delegates who attended the event will be given a questionnaire about the Sabarimala master plan. They can share heir feedback via the e-mail addresses: sabarimalamasterplan.hpc at gmail.com, tdbcer at gmail.com and eesabarimala at gmail.com

The critics, including a section of the anti-Left media had unleashed a vicious campaign of misinformation to the effect that attendance was poor . Only one-fourth of the expected 3,500 delegates were present. That was the burden of their song. But the facts speak for themselves. According to the Devaswom Minister, 4,126 participants registered for the event, of whom 1819 were from Kerala, 2125 from 13 other States and 182 international representatives.

Initially, registration was planned only for 3,000 participants. But later this was increased to 5,000. The Minister’s clarification effectively demolished the argument of the Sangamam being a flop. To prop up their case, the hostile media and TV channels had shown pictures and footages showing empty chairs at the main venue!

The inaugural session was followed by three separate sessions, with only those interested in specific topics registering for each.

To the chagrin of the Government’s critics, the Nair Service Society(NSS) was represented by vice-president M. Sangeet Kumar while the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, the powerful organization of the Ezhava community, was represented by its general secretary Vellappally Natesan. Kerala Pulayar Mahasabha general secretary Punnala Sreekumar and Kerala Brahmana Sabha representative Karimpuzha Raman also marked their presence.

Even the representatives of the Pandalam Palace, which shares a historic and spiritual bond with Ayyappa’s legend chose away only because of the death of two family members. The Minister also read out messages from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Tamil Nadu counterpart M. K. Stalin. The conclave was also attended by political, social and cultural dignitaries, including business magnate Gokulam Gopalan, musician Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri and K. Omanakutty besides former Tantri Kandararu Mohanaru.

The cost of the conclave was estimated at Rs 7 crore, which will be funded entirely through sponsorships. The event also aims at creating a database of devotees from across the world and building a platform to facilitate their travel, return and access to help desks. The key objective: developing the potential of pilgrimage tourism while preserving the traditions and customs of the hill temple.

The critics suffered a series of setbacks right from the beginning. The decision of the NSS, a habitual critic of the LDF Government, and the SNDP came as a jolt to them. Then came the legal setback in the form the Kerala High Court and then the Supreme Court allowing the Kerala Government to hold the event, rejecting the detractors’ plea to bar the Government from conducting the conclave.

At the end of the day, it can safely be said that the success of the Sangamam has given a booster shot to the LDF Government. Conversely, it administers a severe snub to the Saffron camp, which pulled out all the stops to stop the Travancore Devaswom Board from going ahead with the event. (IPA Service)