Existential crisis of Kerala – Measures to counter retrogressive agitation
To,
Shri Pinarayi Vijayan,
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kerala,
Room No. 141, 3rd Floor, North Block,
Government Secretariat,
Thiruvanathapuram – 695 001.
Subject: Existential crisis of Kerala – Measures to counter retrogressive agitation to oppose entry of women in Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple.
Respected Chief Minister Sir,
The ill-motivated and well contrived agitation spearheaded by retrogressive forces of patriarchy and de-spiritualized Hindu priestocracy have dismayed progressive Keralites everywhere. The image of Kerala society that assimilated and concretized a collective mindset of modernism received an irreparable setback due to the extreme unruly behavior of those resorting to violence, intimidation and obstruction of young women devotees, who proceeded to Sabarimala Temple, with a faith on the efficacy of the Apex Court verdict and diligence of the State Administration. This scenario displays an existential crisis to the people of Kerala, giving fillip to those analysts, doubting the depth and impact of Kerala Renaissance of the 19th century.
2.Champions of Brahminical casteism – varna vyavastha, being disillusioned by LDF government’s decision to appoint eligible Hindus of all castes in priestly assignments in government administered temples, are now endeavoring to divinize all obscurant traditions and practices contrary to the letter, spirit and ethos of the Constitution of India, enshrined in the Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties. This move is prejudicial to the metaphysics of Sanathana Dharma of Vedic Hinduism revealed in the Vedas, Brahmasutra, Upanishad and Bhagavad Gita. Effective counteraction, at grass-root level, by enlightening and alerting Ayyappa devotees, misled by status-quoist casteist reactionaries, impervious to the ideals of Modern Indian Renaissance of the 18th Century and its Kerala phase, pioneered by Ayyaswami, Ayyankali, Chattambi Swami, Sri Narayana Guru, Vaghbadhananda, so on, is necessary.
3.The Sangh Parivar and its base body – Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have been relentlessly and steadily indoctrinating through disinformation, gullible Hindus reluctant to comprehend cardinal axioms of Hinduism, about the alleged neglect of exclusivist Hindu communal interests in the Constitution of India. Mainstream secular parties have been accused of minority appeasement, for amplifying their political and electoral capital. Myopic move of pan-Islamic forces of Wahabism, Qutabism, Salafism and Mehdoodism, propelled, financed and sustained by western imperialism have launched many micro-level programmes for Arabisation of Muslim population in India and their alienation from local culture and heritage. These trends had also boosted the morale of the Hindu fundamentalist groups focusing on the re-invigoration of Brahminical casteist order and drive towards the installation of the theocratic Hindu Rashtra in India.
4. The following therapeutic measures to be initiated at governmental and non-governmental levels, encompassing socio-cultural and educational dimensions are proposed.
a) A massive educational campaign through social media and other means of communication about the concept of equality being imperative to the method of God realisation through devotion, - Bhaktiyoga – elaborated in Narada Bhaktisutra, Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ, Holy Quran and Hadith and Zendavesta of Zoroastrianism be launched.
b) Hindu scriptures grant right to liberation and spiritual enlightenment to all living beings by following the methods of pursuit of knowledge (gnana), righteous action (karma) and selfless devotion (bhakti). Instance of a kite bird – Jathayu – getting moksha, narrated in Ramayana is illustrative.
c) Bhagavad Gita, the most popular scripture of Hindus asserts, in its Chapter V, Shloka 18 thus, “Men of self knowledge are same-sighted on a Brahmana imbued with learning and humility, a cow, an elephant, a dog and an outcaste”. Most popular treatise on devotion authored by the father of Malayalam Literature, Thunchat Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, categorically declares, in “Harinama Kirtanam”, 20th Shloka, thus.
“Rithuvaya penninnu mirappavannum dahakannum,
Pathithannum Agni yajanam cheyytha bhoo surannum,
Har nama keerthanam ithoru nalu markku mudan,
Aruthathalla, hari narayanaya nama.”
Salutations to Lord Narayana who is Hari,
The singing of the names of Hari, Is never banned any time,
For the lady who is in her periods, For the one who begs,
For the one who observes an unclean time, For the debased human being, And for the Brahmin doing fire sacrifice.
d) Rig Veda asserts “Earth is upheld by truth, while the heaven is upheld by the Sun” (10-85-1). “May the universe, an abode of truth” (3-30-2-6). Mahatma Gandhi commenced his spiritual life by deeming that God is Truth and matured to the realization that Truth is God. In fact, those opposing entry of women in Sabarimala Temple, are indulging in blind denial of biological truth about female physiology. How can the occurrence of menstruation be impure and sinful in comparison to wet dreams and night emissions that may be happening to testosterone-propelled young healthy men, during their stay in Sabarimala and anti-natural celibacy period of 41 days restriction (Vratam)? If all phenomenon of nature are expressions of God’s will, so is the menstrual cycle in women that enables her to become Mother. Holding this as a ground for not allowing young women to have the bliss of Ayyappa darshan (direct vision) is an act of gross injustice, perpetuating male dominance over divinity.
e) How can a deity, adhering to the concept of eternal celibacy be tempted by the presence of young women, while Hindu virgin deities (Goddess of Kanyakumari in Tamilnadu and Vaishno Devi in Jammu & Kashmir, have no objection in half naked young men of productive age worshipping in these temples. So it has to be presumed that apprehension is about the young women devotees becoming objects of erotic allurement to male worshippers due to their feeble will power and inadequate devotion to Lord Ayyappa. The objection cannot be from Lord Ayyappa, who is in a state of Moksha / Nirvana or self realization viz. beyond the tantalizing seduction of five senses, mind, intellect and ego. In case any male devotee is nurturing unholy thoughts in Sabarimala, he is ineligible and unfit to visit Lord Ayyappa’s shrine. Categorically, it is not the women devotees, but those un-pious men to be restrained from nurturing baser thoughts in the blessed premises of Sabarimala.
f) “Tantra Samuchayam” – a monograph and manual of worship (puja) procedure compiled by Chennas Narayanan Nambudiripad (published by Panchagam Pusthakashala, Kunnamkulam) does not stipulate that young women should not attend worship ceremony or have darshan of Lord Dharma Shastha.
g) Are women inferior to men in the eyes of the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God Almighty? History does not testify to such a contention.
h) Pure and ideal Hinduism, as explained in the Vedas and Upanishads, as opposed to the condemnable lop-sided sub-scriptures of Smritis by Manu, Parasara, Yajnavalka, Shankara and so on and the Epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, have no incompatibility with post European Renaissance generated modern values of democracy, liberalism, equality, fraternity, dignity and human rights. Hinduism allows its followers to choose any God and accepts that there could be multiple paths, all equally divine, leading to God. In fact, the brigands who demolished Babri Masjid in 1992 had indulged in a sacrilegious un-Hindu crime.
i) The methodology of pursuit of knowledge (Gnana Yoga) paths of self–less action (Karma Yoga) and deep devotion by sacrificing ones ego (Bhakti Yoga) are tools for self-realisation. Many women have proved their merit in all these fields. Avvyar (2nd Century BCE in Tamil Nadu), Akka Mahadevi (12th Century CE, Karnataka), Meerabai (Rajasthan) Mata Amrutananda May (Kerala) etc are illustrative instances. The perversions of present day Hinduism emanates from the exclusivist, pseudo-fundamentalist radical fringe elements, acting as foot-soldiers of the Sangh Parivar and subverting the quintessential Hindus spiritualism, through unethical and even violent means, for achieving their commercial objectives and power politics.
j) The human physico-mental personality, in the ascending order, is categorized by Bhagavad Gita, as. (i) Body, (ii) Five Senses, (iii) Mind-centre of emotions, (iv) Intellect and (v) the Atma (Soul). Bhagavad Gita, Shloka 42 of chapter-3 says “The senses are said to be superior to the body; the mind is superior to the senses, the intellect is superior to the mind; and what is superior to the intellect is Atma.” So the body condition of a devotee is not relevant for his/her seeking self-realisation or divine grace through visits to the temple or any of three yogas.
l) Misplaced sensitivity displayed by sexist, misogynist Hindu orthodox groups, stressing on self-created, ill-founded unscientific menstrual taboos, for preventing women visiting Sabarimala temple is in total violation of the spirit of the Bhagavad Gita.
m) No ban has been imposed on the entry of menstruating animals near the shrine of Sabarimala.
n) In a Mother Goddess temple in Kerala – Chenganoor/ Alleppy District – as well as in Kamakhya temple (Assam), red spots appear once a year on the robes of the Goddess to this date. So when Mother Goddess, in all her physical disposition is worshipped, by what logic and scriptural or religious authority, can women in a similar condition, be deprived of their inalienable right to worship before the Sabarimala shrine?
o) Significantly in “Tripura Sundari Ashtakam”, an invocation of Mother Goddess, authored by Adi Shankaracharya, the deity is portrayed as a menstruating woman. The website of Sri Kamakoti Mandali ( www.kamakotimandali.com ) interpreted the 6th Shloka of this Ashtakam as follows “The Devi is described as being habituated in a blue sari with red spots, as the first menstrual flow, shows itself when a woman is ready to bear, so on the blue welkin (sky or heaven), the Devi’s raiment (clothing), signs appear, heralding creation”.
p) At the entrance of Sabarimala temple, the Upanishadic dictum “Tat Twam Asi – That Art Thou – one of the four Mahavakyas of Hinduism – is prominently displayed. These words from Chandogya Upanishad (6-8-7) tells the devotee that “what you are seeking is within yourself” in the form of Atma (Soul). This also would establish the senselessness in giving any importance to the bodily condition of a devotee, though there are no regulations in fixing the standards of physical hygiene, clothings etc (all within individual control) as a condition for appearing before the deity.
q) Inexorably, the sole imperative attribute of a true devotee is the purity of the heart, as testified by Rig Veda thus, “If the heart is impure and malicious, then the God’s worship will also be unfruitful. Therefore God’s worship must be carried out with a ‘nishpap’ (sinless) heart. “VIII/61/11) Jesus Christ in his Sermon on the Mount declares” Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God! (Bible, St. Mathew 5-8)
r) The famous Sanskrit aphorism, Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktayae, (True knowledge liberates) was adopted by Mahatma Gandhi, as motto of the Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad. Kerala temple managers should opt for liberating women from ‘spiritual slavery’ imposed by male chauvinism for perpetuation of male domination.
s) History recorded that the advocates of traditions (Acharams) due to their incompatibility with modern ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity and dignity of individuals were violently opposed to the abolition of, widow burning in the funeral pyre of their husbands (Sati), widow remarriage, un-touchability, dowry, Devadasi system and all reforms towards proper justice delivery to those outside varna vyavasta. Those agitating against the Apex Court order on Sabarimala, represent those Satanic forces.
t) Perhaps, Bhagavad Gita is the only scripture of a major religion (Hinduism) permitting its followers to critically analyze religious wisdom and act as per one’s own choice. In Chapter 18, Shloka-63, Lord Krishna advises “Thus has wisdom more profound than all profundities been declared to you (Arjuna) by Me (Lord Krishna). Reflect upon it and act as you choose”. So those who oppose to the entry of women for worship in Sabarimala have no valid authority in the religious perspective also to prevent women from exercising their religious rights guaranteed both by the Constitution of India and Hindu scriptures.
u) Even a cursory study of 11 major religions of the world confirm that both the God – centric theist religions of Vedic Hinduism, Sikhism, Abrahamite faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Zoroastrianism of Persia and Shintoism of Japan and atheistic persuasions of Jainism, Buddhism, Chinese philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism, emphatically exhort their followers to make the best of human life gifted to them by God/ Nature through empowerment of body, enlightenment of mind, creative rejuvenation of intellect and ennoblement of the spirit / self through various means. Simultaneously, they should resort to similar action to enhance the position of others and outside world. Ethical Code of Conduct of all religions are identical. But in India, today we have the paradox of having the highest number of religious centers – temples, churches, mosques, dargahs, gurudwaras, ashrams, monasteries and religious congregational centers – proportionate to the population in comparison to other nations. But the integrity status of people remains at the lowest levels in comparison to many nations in Sub-Saharan African and highly atheistic Scandinavian countries, who have no lofty civilizational legacy. Have we become skillful hypocrites? Recently a study in Kozhikode city brought out the bitter truth of nearly 4 lakh educated people obtaining BPL ration cards and other facilities by submitting false information about their economic status. The Mathrubhoomi daily had written an editorial in this matter. One may feel that the struggle against entry of women in Sabarimala is suggestive of ill-natured duplicity of a few self-appointed elite acting as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (characters in R. L. Stevenson’s novel) at the same time. Is the self assumed ritualistic purity of ceremonies more superior to achieving honesty and integrity and purity of conscience? Amazingly mainstream leadership of institutionalized religions of India are focusing on peripheral issues like blocking entry of women in temples (Hinduism), retaining of polygamy and halala nikah (Islam), subordination of women in eclesiastical church order (Christianity). How could one explain reduction in sale of liquor in Muslim dominated areas during Ramadan period and Hindu areas during Sabarimala pilgrimage period in Kerala?
v) Treating sex as a sin is an unscientific dogma of Abrahamite religions. Christianity preaches about original sin and project Jesus Christ as a redeemer. Such a perception is conspicuously absent in Vedic religion, Sikhism and also in logical faiths of Jainism and Buddhism – all originated in India.
w) The gruesome mob violence perpetuated against young women devotees from different places by criminal enthusiasts of Ayyappa cult since 17th October, 2018, will go down in history as an ugly assertion of the Hindu variety of Kerala sub-nationalism, drawing a parallel to the violence in Tamilnadu in support of Jallikettu. This is symptomatic of a counter revolution against the philosophy, preachings, ground work and way of life of reformists like Sri Narayana Guru and other masters of Kerala Renaissance. Just like Hindus in general, have drained their claims about heritage of tolerance, with the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 and anti-minority violence in Gujarat in 2002, people of Kerala has disinherited the glorious legacy and image of being an enlightened society with high degree of literacy, appreciable modern standard of life, impressive art forms and political enlightenment of conferring power to Communists through the peaceful means of electoral process.
x) The above delineated scriptural ethos does not sanction, support or justify any ban on women of productive age from the worship of Lord Ayyappa in the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala temple. Further, the Constitution of India in Article 13, declared illegal all laws including Ordinances, customs, usage, rule, regulation, order and notification, which are inconsistent with the provisions of Part III (Fundamental Rights). Article 25 of the Constitution of India has specified “Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion” is subject to other provisions of Part-III – Article 12 to 13.
5. The self appointed champions of Hinduism indulging in condemnable violence against women devotees should comprehend the import of concluding part of Rigveda, codified as “Sangathan Sutras” as delineated below.
“Come together, all of you, speak in one voice, know with one mind, even like the Gods, who, of yore knew with one mind and together had their share of enjoyment”.
“Together may they utter the mantra, may they unite together, may their mind be one and their consciousness mingle. I utter the same mantra with you all, ‘with you all equally I make the offering.”
“May your yearning be one, may your heart be one, may your mind be one, so that your union may be perfect. (Rig Veda X – 191-2-4)
6. The Sangh Parivar and Hindu orthodoxy hold Manusmriti in high esteem. They should at least recognize, respect and actualize the words of wisdom, in Chapter III, Shloka 56 of this smriti.
यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवताः ।
यत्रैतास्तु न पूज्यन्ते सर्वास्तत्राफलाः क्रियाः ॥ ५६ ॥
yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ |
yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyāḥ || 56 ||
“Where women are honoured, there the gods rejoice; where, on the other hand, they are not honoured, there all rites are fruitless.”
7. The following innovative actions are suggested to counter forces adopting the strategy of mobocratic mobilization to reverse, neutralize and nullify the verdict of the Apex Court on Sabarimala.
a) The LDF Government should not go slow or subvert the enforcement of the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala. Possibly, masters of electoral strategy would mount pressure on LDF leadership to be in tune with the tone, tenor and mood of those Hindus opposing the court verdict, particularly in the context of forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
b) Appointment of eligible women as priests in at least temples of female deities like those in Aatukaal in Thiruvanathapuram, Chotanikkara in Kochi and Kodungallur in Trisshur and so on.
c) A suitable monument should be built to commemorate the brave lady, Nangeli, who severed and thrown her breasts before Travancore State Government officials, who intimidated her for paying breast tax (Mulakaram). She is a pioneer in women liberation movement in Kerala. Reportedly, her husband Cheerukandan, had committed suicide in her funeral pyre, when she died due to hemorrhage. Perhaps, it is the only case of a husband committing Sati. A memorial should be made for the couple.
d) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, had done deeper studies on various facets in the evolution of Indian socio-cultural life. The gist of Ambedkarism containing values of European Enlightenment, Modernism and Indian legacy, particularly the heritage of Buddhism, be included in the school syllabi from 6th to 10th standard.
e) B.A and M.A courses be instituted in Universities. Ambedkar had produced over 5000 pages-long creative material containing his incisive observations and remedial suggestions towards the emancipation of downtrodden marginalized Indians.
f) B.R. Ambedkar’s epoch making book – Anhillation of Caste - written in 1930s, being still relevant, be introduced as a non detailed text book in the SSLC course.
8. I had submitted a representation captioned, “Actualisation of the vision of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and implementation of Ambedkarism” dated 12th September 2017, to the Chief Minister of Kerala. Further action in this representation may kindly be initiated. (Copy of the representation in enclosed).
9. A reversal of the Apex Court decision permitting women in Sabarimala Temple would amount to effacement of advancements made in socio-cultural evolution achieved through sacrifices of great reformists and leftist movement in Kerala, since early years of the 20th Century. I sincerely hope that the LDF Government headed by you will not facilitate such a reversal process and create an existential crisis to the State.
Yours faithfully,
(R.B.Sreekumar)
Copy with complements to:
- Shri. Ramesh Chennithala,
Leader of opposition in Kerala Assembly.
Office Address
Indira Bhavan, Trivandrum-10
Residence Address
“Sargam”, EVRA 226, Krishnavilasom Road, Vazhuthacaud Trivandrum- 695014
- Shri. Loknath Behera (IPS),
DGP and State Police Chief
Police Head Quarters
Vazhuthacaud, Sasthamangalam PO,9
Thiruvanathapuram – 695010
