Sangh groups to hold ‘sangamam’ as counter to Kerala govt’s Sabarimala meet

Kerala’s ruling CPI(M) government is facing opposition over its planned global sangamam of Sabarimala devotees, scheduled to be held at Pampa on September 20.

According to reports, Sangh Parivar organisations, under the banner of the Sabarimala Karma Samithi (SKS), have announced a “Sabarimala protection sangamam” on September 22, sparking a fresh political tussle in the state.

The SKS, formed in 2018 as a joint platform for various Hindu organisations, including Sangh Parivar outfits, was originally set up to coordinate protests against the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing young women to enter the Sabarimala Temple.

Sources indicated that the SKS event will be held at Pandalam, around 32 km from Pampa, which is significant as it is the headquarters of the erstwhile royal family that traditionally holds influence over the temple’s rituals. Notably, the 2018 agitations opposing women’s entry into the shrine had also begun at Pandalam, the Indian Express reported.

SKS general convener SJR Kumar reportedly stated that their sangamam aims to protect the temple’s traditions. He criticised the CPI(M) government’s global event, calling it a political intrusion into the temple’s affairs and a challenge to the faith of Hindu devotees.

SKS general convener SJR Kumar stated that the decision to hold the “Sabarimala protection sangamam” was taken on September 3, but the list of participants and the schedule for the day are yet to be finalised.

He said the event would see participation from devotees across India and criticised the state government’s global sangamam, alleging that it caters to the wealthy and divides devotees based on their financial status. According to him, the SKS gathering is intended for “true devotees” and will focus on discussions around the development of the hill shrine while also keeping a close watch on how the government’s event unfolds.

The BJP was among the first to oppose the CPI(M)-led government’s global Ayyappa sangamam but lost some momentum after prominent Hindu organisations like the NSS and SNDP Yogam expressed support for the state government’s event. The September 20 programme is being organised to mark the 75th anniversary of the Travancore Devaswom Board.

In support of the SKS’s initiative, BJP national executive member Kummanam Rajasekharan met members of the Pandalam royal family on Thursday to seek their backing. However, a royal family member clarified that no decision had been made about attending the Sangh Parivar event.

He emphasised that the family, being closely linked to the Sabarimala temple and its rituals, would have to attend the government’s event if invited but maintained that they wished to stay away from politics and avoid creating divisions in society.

Kerala Hindu Aikya Vedi president RV Babu questioned the government’s intentions behind organising the global sangamam. He demanded that the state apologise for supporting the entry of young women into the temple and also withdraw the cases registered against devotees during the 2018 Sabarimala protests. He pointed out that the government had already withdrawn cases related to the CAA protests and the Vizhinjam port agitation and questioned why similar relief could not be extended to Sabarimala devotees if the government truly stood with them.