In Vathiyurkavu constituency in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram, a jeep belonging to Congress candidate K. “Never forget that this government forcefully took a few young women through the back door of the Sabarimala temple to help break the ancient traditions of the temple,” Muraleedharan pre-recorded a message as the vehicle moved in and out of key neighborhoods. On April 9, when you go out to vote, never forget it.
In neighboring Nemom constituency, where BJP president Rajiv Chandrasekhar is locked in a battle to open the party’s account in the state assembly, roads were lined with saffron-coloured banners and posters about Sabarimala. Everyone is talking about the theft of gold from several temple assets, including the door frames, by a gang that allegedly includes top political leaders and ‘devaswom’ (temple management) officials. The posters read: “Ambalakallanmarku vote illa” (No vote for temple robbers).
With the polls approaching in the Kerala Lok Sabha elections, the Congress-BJP-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is exploiting the developments surrounding the Sabarimala temple to attack the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. The campaign against the LDF is two-pronged – first, the LDF government’s stand in support of the landmark 2018 Supreme Court ruling allowing entry of women of all ages into the shrine, and second, the arrest of senior leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), including former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) chairman A. Padmakumar, in the case of misappropriation of gold assets.
Opposition parties hope these cases will convince millions of Ayyappa supporters and other Hindu believers to vote against the LDF – especially when the Supreme Court begins hearing the case anew on April 7.
Outgoing LoP VD Satheesan questioned the CPI(M) for not taking any action on the leaders caught in gold theft so far. “The accused were able to get out because the charge sheet was delayed. One of the main accused, A Padmakumar, is still a member of the local committee of the CPI(M),” he said.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said his party was committed to protecting the “faith and beliefs” of Sabarimala pilgrims. “The CPI(M) leaders are involved in the looting. That is why the issue is not progressing at a rapid pace,” he said.
In response, the LDF appeared to soften its stance. In March, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government told the Supreme Court that the case should be reconsidered after hearing the “neutral opinion of social reformers and religious scholars” — a reversal of its earlier vocal support for the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling. Communist Party of India (Maoist) state minister M V Govindan told reporters on March 13 that the party had asked the government to examine all constitutional aspects before filing a response before the Supreme Court. When asked if he stood with the believers, he said: “The Communist Party of Iran has always taken into account the feelings of the believers.”
In the gold embezzlement case, the LDF government was accused of protecting detained leaders and pressuring the Special Investigation Team. She denied the accusations of interfering in the SIT investigation and has distanced herself from the leaders accused in the case so far.
CPM Minister of State MV Govindan had earlier told HT: “The media campaign is that the party will be in trouble if it does not take action. This is not what the public thinks. On day one, I said that not a single inch of gold belonging to Sabarimala should be lost. Anyone who causes such loss of gold should be brought before the law.”
Political commentator Sreejith Panikkar said the LDF’s current stance was a clear reflection of its stand in its 2008 affidavit before the Supreme Court. “In that affidavit, while the government requested consultations with religious experts more broadly, it clearly stated that women should also enjoy any privileges that men have in religious settings. So, they are now stepping back in light of the election,” he said.
The issue is expected to feature prominently in all seats where Hindu voters are in majority in districts like Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur. It will have a direct impact on constituencies like Kuni and Rani in Pathanamthitta district where the Sabarimala temple is located.
S Jayashankar, a lawyer and political analyst, said the LDF’s softening of its stance on Sabarimala is likely to reduce the damage its earlier stance had caused among Hindu believers.
“This may not have been an issue during the 2021 Assembly election campaign, but along with the issue of gold theft, it is prominent in the minds of voters. Ayyappa is a highly revered deity especially among backward Hindu communities like Ezhavas. Ezhavas happen to be the main voting bloc of the Left Front. Left leaders allegedly carried out large-scale gold looting along with Devaswom officials. The party was unable to successfully defend itself,” he said.
