Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that divisive forces that hinder social progress will have no place in the annals of history.
Likening the controversy over the entry of young women to Sabarimala to the historic Temple Entry Proclamation of 1936, Mr. Vijayan added that the society could not be bridled by those who failed to move ahead with the times.
Inaugurating State-level celebrations to mark the 82nd observance of the Temple Entry Proclamation here on Friday, Mr. Vijayan alleged that efforts were being made by casteist forces to drag the State back into the Dark Ages and disrupt the prevalent communal harmony in a bid to divide society. The State government stood firmly by those who strived to preserve secularism and democracy, he said.
He said the Sabarimala temple stood apart from several other temples at a time when temple entry was restricted to those hailing from the upper castes.
Panchami’s school entry
Mr. Vijayan said that conservative forces had always opposed social reforms that had shaped the ethos of the State over the years. “The Ooruttambalam Upper Primary School still bears the scars of the injustice meted out to Panchami, who had been denied education by school teachers because of her being a Dalit. This, despite a law that permitted children from the backward classes to study in schools that came into effect in 1909 owing to the efforts of social reformer Ayyankali.
As had been the case prior to the historic Temple Entry Proclamation, there has been vehement opposition with some even approaching the courts. However, such efforts spurred the renaissance movement,” he said.