Sabarimala: Need for a review of narrative, not verdict

Wrong arguments are being given a green signal in the Sabarimala issue, post the SC verdict. As a result, the train of public discourse seems to have either totally gone on the wrong track or is heading off-track. Both are dangerous for society (and the nation at large): tending towards a collision in the first instance and derailment in the second. So, both need to be averted.

Here, those which stand out are: one, the predominant emphasis gaining much ground on the “women” angle: witness the “feminism” supporters entering the fray, the focus on the “menstruation” aspect, discussions on what some actress did, the questions of should women of a certain age group be allowed entry or not, the CPM roping in its women’s wing for awareness campaigns etc.; two, the near total restriction of the raging public debate (and anguish) to just within the borders of Kerala: the political parties at the national level seem to have labelled it a “local issue”, the Indian masses in other states (even the thus far die-hard Hindu activists) appear just not bothered or blissfully unaware, the mainstream media too is seeing only a Kerala-centric writing (in the readers response as well) and three, above all, the near-callous treatment and lack of due importance being given to treating this subject of Lord Ayyappa and His worship: some are referring to it as a localised custom, some are questioning the wisdom of “non-devotees”, others write casually of his “celibacy” status (as if it were a “me too” moment).

All this is, unfortunately as it so often happens, smacking of a diversion of the people’s attention (and those of the intellectual community and the learned judges in particular) to frivolous and populist matters from more serious and important ones. Already, there are perils from the still continuing scenes of public protests (with large numbers of women, and even children amidst them), so-called Hindu groups and all shades of political parties vying for TV bytes, looming elections in five states and the general elections to follow soon. More so, this Sabarimala episode itself occurs in the backdrop of: a leftist government in power in Kerala (which the supposedly pro-Hindu BJP at the Centre will be happy to upstage), the state itself just recovering from unprecedented floods (not to mention the Bishop-nun rape scandal) and lastly, the I-could-not-care-less attitude of the general public across the country. In fact, all these are suggestive of a plot for a classic formula box-office hit.

As I see it, the SC verdict, landmark without doubt, goes beyond, far beyond just validating the rights of women to enter Sabarimala. The issue of rights for women is but a pit-stop for the SC. What it does is to strike hard to reiterate what those who framed our Constitution had in mind: that its core values and principles, such as of equality, liberty, etc ought to prevail, in nook & corner of the nation, unhindered, across the board. Thye rights of women are but only the fringe, the tip of the proverbial iceberg of social transformation which the learned ones intended to usher in. After 70-plus years, the SC perhaps is one of the few institutions which remain not only its harbinger but have now morphed into watchdogs to see that this onerous task does not go unfulfilled. So, it would be a sad day if we were to miss the wood for the trees. I wish this judgement emerges as a watershed moment in India’s march forward: for women, under-privileged, whosoever else needs constitutional protection to assert what is right and considers to be his/her rights. We ought to grab this chance to launch a mass movement on this count with both hands. If it were to open a Pandora’s box, so be it, we should not panic, for it is the Constitution which ought to permeate the weft and warp of the Indian fabric.

One major roadblock in this direction, rather a mental-block really, is this unseemly hesitation to rewrite our ages -old traditions and so-called customs. These need to be re-interpreted in light of modern thinking and scientific knowledge. This is the urgent need of the hour: how we can dovetail the two, without each hindering the other, it is indeed challenging but then, when the going gets tough, the tough should get going too. Today, the world around us is changing. Even Saudi Arabia had to bow down to allow women to drive on the roads. Taking shelter under religious or other various garbs, those who are privileged to enjoy their benefits un-constitutionally and to the detriment of anybody else, this is a clear no-tolerance zone, for one and all. The role of non-devotees or non-adherents to a particular faith is crucial here. True questioning of even the fundamental pillars of any religion can come from any quarter; religious leaders should not mind such thinkers. Let the breeze of true knowledge blow from any direction, we welcome it, and it should be our motto, not bigotry. The call of the panchavadyam especially the kombu and the udukkai (musical instruments used in Ayyappa worship) is in this direction.

Interestingly, Kerala has always been in the vanguard of progressive and forward oriented action: be it in the areas of entrepreneurship, women’s education/literacy, employment-generation by moving on to other geographical areas, I have for years marveled at this unique trait. I recall a childhood joke that when Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon, he was surprised to see a native of Kerala there! Taken in the right sense, this basically highlights the Keralite ability to tread successfully into unchartered territory, the costs and dangers notwithstanding. A similar zeal is now called for, at this critical juncture.

This does not — and indeed should not be construed to imply to mean — that the Sabarimala issue is one for Kerala alone, as is now being made out. Sadly, today this is the bane: what happens in Sabarimala is a matter for the people of Kerala; if it is Puri, the Oriyas; Tirupati, then it is for the Telugu people; Murugan worship, the Tamils know best — this is a wrong approach and an unfortunate “regionalising “ of faith of millions into narrow localised bands.

Lord Ayyappa has countless devotees around the globe; I am one of the ardent ones. I have been lucky to have been gifted a copy of the “Sree Dharmashastha Namavali” by one of my former colleagues (God bless him!), a Malayali gentleman whose wife was daily at the local Ayyappa temple. Reciting the Ashtothara Shata Namam has been of immense solace to me in my moments of crisis. Visiting Sabarimala runs deep in our family, with my late mother and my sister lately having made the pilgrimage too with much care and shradhha. Each devotee of the Lord and many more who have not the good fortune of knowing Him, let alone see Him in Sabarimala or climb the 18 steps, ought to be fully encouraged to do so, by the TDB, the people of Kerala and all those who care to spread His glory. The respected priests and the glorious Pandalam Palace have weathered many a storm in sustaining Lord Ayyappa’s grandeur thus far and there is no reason why this should be questioned. They must be given the due public support and state back-up to do so. May we appeal to the Ayyappa “makara jyothi” which is seen when one is at Sabarimala: Lead kindly light. As the the faithful pray, “Swamiye saranam Ayyappa” (Lord Ayyappa, we take refuge in you).

The writer is a retired bureaucrat and a socio-political commentator