Police avoid showdown after tanthri’s rigid stance
Rejith Balakrishnan | TNN | Oct 20, 2018, 08:04 IST
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There were hardly 250 men in the group that blocked the police shielding the two women, a journalist and a central government employee at the Nadapanthal. Police could have easily dealt with them since they had fended off a bigger mob armed with stones and sticks two days ago. Yet, the police called off their mission 500 meters away from the Sannidhanam. It was the tough stance taken by tanthri (chief priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru that put pressure on the devaswom minister, who eventually intervened to call off the police mission.
IG S Sreejith, who led the police party, was seen requesting the men blocking the path to allow the women inside. “Your duty is to protect traditions sitting here, doing naamajapam. Let us do our duty our way. We need not engage in violence here,” the IG spoke in stern voice. Protesters listened to him calmly, though some of them requested to take the women back with them. An hour passed, with the IG shuttling between the protesters and the KSEB office, taking instructions from his higher ups on phone and discussing strategies with fellow officers. The Tanthri then directed the parikarmis (priests from other temples who assist main priests in pooja rituals) to climb down the 18 steps and stage a namajapa yajnam. This was at 10.05 am. The sight of parikarmis coming out Sanctorum and staging a protest gave rise to rumours that pooja rituals were abruptly stopped.
Moments later the Tantri told a news channel that if the women came anywhere close to the 18 steps he would lock down the sanctorum, handover the key to the administrative manager and go back to Pandalam.
Asked whether his act would amount to contempt of court, Kandararu Rajeevaru told TOI that he wouldn’t care. “My responsibility is to respect and support the faithful,”, he said adding that no rituals were stopped during the protest.
IG S Sreejith, who led the police party, was seen requesting the men blocking the path to allow the women inside. “Your duty is to protect traditions sitting here, doing naamajapam. Let us do our duty our way. We need not engage in violence here,” the IG spoke in stern voice. Protesters listened to him calmly, though some of them requested to take the women back with them. An hour passed, with the IG shuttling between the protesters and the KSEB office, taking instructions from his higher ups on phone and discussing strategies with fellow officers. The Tanthri then directed the parikarmis (priests from other temples who assist main priests in pooja rituals) to climb down the 18 steps and stage a namajapa yajnam. This was at 10.05 am. The sight of parikarmis coming out Sanctorum and staging a protest gave rise to rumours that pooja rituals were abruptly stopped.
Moments later the Tantri told a news channel that if the women came anywhere close to the 18 steps he would lock down the sanctorum, handover the key to the administrative manager and go back to Pandalam.
Asked whether his act would amount to contempt of court, Kandararu Rajeevaru told TOI that he wouldn’t care. “My responsibility is to respect and support the faithful,”, he said adding that no rituals were stopped during the protest.
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