Instead of coming up with concrete suggestions for the development of the famed hill shrine Sabarimala, the parallel sangamam saw some of the participants spouting communal venom and attempting to disrupt the religious harmony which is the hallmark of Kerala. Expectedly, the police have registered a case against the head of the Sriramadas Mission head Swami Shantananda Maharshi for preaching communal hatred.

Ironically, the first complaint was filed by a member of the Pandalam Palace, which has all along been on good terms with the BJP-RSS combine. The enormity of the Mahrshi’s offence can be gauged from the fact that even the royal family member found the communal venom spouted by the Mission head too much to digest. Two others, a lawyer of the Kerala High Court and a DYFI leader, have also complained against the Swami for trying to incite violence between communities and disrupt communal amity.

True, the parallel sangamam was able to attract a large number of people. That is not a surprise. It is not difficult for a cadre-based party like the BJP to manage a good assemblage, given its resources and organizational prowess. But the point to be noted is that leading Hindu organisations like the Nair Service Society(NSS), the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) and the Kerala Pulaya Mahasabha were conspicuous by their absence.

In effect, the parallel conclave turned out to be a purely Sangh Parivar-sponsored one. The saffron brigade would have done better to come up with solid suggestions to ensure the development of the hill shrine and to improve the facilities for the devotees. It did nothing of the kind. Instead, the saffron camp used the event to whip up communal feelings and criticize the Pinarayi Government. No wonder, the exercise boomeranged badly.

The biggest loss for the Hindutva camp is the trenchant criticism it attracted from NSS chief G. Sukumaran Nair. Not only did Nair lambast the Sangh Parivar for its politics of negativism but he went on to endorse the Sabarimala policy of the LDF Government! The change in NSS stance marks a radical shift in its anti-LDF stance. Nair’s expression of implicit trust in the LDF Government’s promise to protect the core tenets of the Ayyappa faith and strive for the development of Sabarimala’s infrastructure has shocked both the Congress-led United Democratic Front(UDF) and the BJP. The timing of Nair’s statement is significant, coming as it does with the local bodies polls and the State assembly elections only months away.

The setback is particularly serious for the Congress camp which has traditionally enjoyed the solid support of the NSS. Though the party leaders are putting on a broad front trying to minimize the impact of the NSS shift in stand, they know that it will have an adverse impact on its efforts to stage a political comeback in Kerala, where it is still a force to reckon with. It will be extremely difficult for the Congress to regain the trust of the estranged NSS. A substantial erosion in the party’s Hindu votes cannot be ruled out either. Adding insult to injury is the support extended to the NSS stand by the SNDP. That could prove to be the last straw on the Congress camel’s back. No wonder, the Congress is sharply divided over the failure to ensure the continued support of the NSS.

Conversely, the CPI(M)-headed LDF can draw comfort from the fact that it has managed to end the rift with the NSS. It has come at the end of sustained efforts by the LDF to mend fences with the NSS. What has endeared the NSS to the LDF Government is its assurance to implement the 2018 order by the apex court, which has voiced concern about the ruling concerning Sabarimala. The crux of NSS criticism is that the Union Government has failed to keep its promise to come up with a law to protect the traditions and customs of Sabarimala.

As for the Congress, the NSS chief said the party seemed more keen on securing the minority votes than retaining its traditional Hindu votes. What will be extremely worrisome for the Congress and the BJP will be the SNDP’s endorsement of the NSS position that neither the Congress nor the BJP has done anything to resolved the “emotive issue” of preserving temple traditions in the wake of the 2018 SC verdict allowing the entry of women of all ages into the temple. (IPA Service)