Vellappally Natesan, the general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, recently stated that the newfound understanding between the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Kerala government concerning the preservation of Sabarimala temple traditions — particularly the long-standing prohibition on women of menstruating age entering the Ayyappa temple — is set to be a significant advantage for the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the upcoming local elections and potentially in broader political arenas.
In Alappuzha, Natesan echoed NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair’s perspective, highlighting that neither the Congress nor the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had effectively contributed to resolving the deeply emotional dispute surrounding the Sabarimala temple traditions, especially following the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that permitted women of all ages to worship there.
Natesan recalled the NSS’s strong initial opposition to the LDF government’s decision to allow women entry into Sabarimala. He noted that both the Congress and the BJP later joined the NSS’s protest, seemingly for political gain rather than genuine conviction.
He emphasized that the SNDP had consistently advocated for upholding Sabarimala’s established traditions, including the restrictions on women’s entry. He credited the LDF government with eventually retreating from its initial stance, acknowledging the profound sentiments of devotees.
Natesan pointed out that Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan had met with Nair, reassuring him of the government’s dedication to protecting Sabarimala traditions just before the recent Global Ayyapppa Sanghamam. This assurance led the NSS to send its vice-president, Sangeet Kumar, to the conference as a gesture of goodwill.
According to Natesan, the NSS has historically adopted an ‘issue-based approach’ when engaging with various state governments.
Congress’s Stance Called ‘Delusional’
He dismissed the Congress party’s claim that the NSS is perpetually at odds with LDF governments as ‘delusional’.
Natesan affirmed that, for the time being, the NSS has unequivocally placed its trust in the LDF government regarding the Sabarimala matter.
He added that the LDF government has already acceded to key NSS demands, such as reservations for economically backward sections among forward castes and addressing concerns related to recruitment within the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).
Natesan expressed his agreement with Nair’s view that both the Congress and the BJP have shown a lack of clear direction when it comes to the Sabarimala faith, including crucial aspects of pilgrim welfare and development.
(Nair had previously criticized the BJP for failing to uphold its promise of legislative action to protect Sabarimala temple customs. He also condemned the Congress for what he described as a ‘duplicitous’ stance on an issue central to the NSS, asserting that the party demonstrated little consideration for the majority community’s concerns.)
When questioned about a potential narrowing of the ideological gap between the NSS headquarters in Perunna and the SNDP’s base in Kollam following the Sanghamam, Natesan responded, ‘I leave it to the public to interpret.’