With hardly a week left for the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season, the government’s decision to cut short the term of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) office-bearers to two years may result in confusion among the stakeholders of Sabarimala.
TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan and board member Ajay Tharayil, both nominees of the previous United Democratic Front government, are completing two years in office very soon. The other TDB member, K. Raghavan, who belongs to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has completed only one year in office.
Stand-off
Conflicting stances taken by the TDB and the government over key issues have raked up controversies during the past 18 months. When the government favoured entry of women of all age groups to Sabarimala and apprised the Supreme Court of its decision through an affidavit, the TDB president vehemently opposed it was against the custom and tradition of Sabarimala.
During Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s maiden review meeting at Pampa a year ago, Mr. Gopalakrishnan firmly opposed his suggestion that the board could consider keeping the temple open throughout the year.
According to the TDB chief it was not a matter that could be discussed at an official review meeting.
Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran took exception to the TDB decision to change the name of the temple to Sree Ayyappa Temple, saying the board had not consulted the government before taking the key decision.
The TDB chief’s statement that a temple should be constructed at Ponnambalamedu too has drawn criticism from the government. There are allegations that the government has failed to resolve the disputes between the TDB and the Forest Department. Mr. Gopalakrishnan has condemned the intervention of the CITU in the loading and unloading of jaggery and rice brought for preparing Aravana and Appam at Sabarimala.
There is also a precedence of the government appointing former Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar as Special Officer with full powers of the TDB in the absence of the board earlier.