Dalit voice in Devaswom leadership

It has been only nine decades since the light of the Temple Entry Proclamation reached Kerala’s backward and Dalit communities. Until then, the doors of temples remained firmly shut to them. Even those who were believers were denied the right to worship in temples. The situation was no different when it came to admission to schools. The powerful and distinctive struggles and messages of the epoch-making Sree Narayana Guru and Mahatma Ayyankali created a favourable climate for temple entry. The passionate editorials published by Kerala Kaumudi and the Savarna Jatha led by Mannathu Padmanabhan gave further impetus to the movement. It was in this context that the Temple Entry Proclamation was issued in Travancore in 1936. Following this, all Hindus, irrespective of caste, gained the freedom to worship in temples.

Our Puranas proclaim that all living beings are creations of God. That is also the essence of the Vedas and Upanishads. Later, narrow-minded people lacking broad-mindedness and a sense of equality introduced certain additions and interpretations to suit their own interests. They even went so far as to claim that these were divinely ordained. Those who did not understand the essence of the Vedas and Upanishads propagated such ideas. Those who could not distinguish right from wrong and darkness from truth built fortresses around such erroneous beliefs and protected them. Even in an age when democracy and awareness of the law are strong, there are some who cling to age-old customs within the narrow limits of their authority. In some temples, such as Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam, covert forms of untouchability and other social evils still persist. One can only pity the withered hearts and minds of those who remain oblivious to the fact that the world has changed and times have changed.

MP Kodikunnil Suresh’s demand that the post of Devaswom Board president should also be given to members of the Dalit communities is entirely fair and just. He expressed this view at a function held at Vellayambalam Ayyankali Square in Thiruvananthapuram to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Ayyankali. He made the statement in the presence of Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan. Minister Muraleedharan, who spoke at the function, also said that the government could not reject Kodikunnil’s demand.

Whenever Devaswom Board appointments are made, there is a demand for Dalit representation in the post of president. Backward-community organisations also raise the demand for their rightful representation. However, none of these demands ever materialise. Political parties and their leaders pretend not to hear them. Many think about the numerical strength and votes of backward and Dalit communities only during election time. Such promises find a place in election manifestos. Gradually, as the intoxication of power takes hold, all of them are forgotten.

There have always been those who raise objections to the progress of backward and Dalit communities. Astonishing all of them, so many capable people are now shining at the highest levels of the nation and in the judiciary. Progressive-minded people are those who embrace the gradual changes brought about by time. They also like to move ahead of their times.

Since Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Minister K. Muraleedharan are moving forward with an understanding of public sentiment, Kodikunnil’s demand will certainly be considered.

There are five Devaswom Boards in Kerala. Giving the post of president for at least one term in one of them to a person from the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities is a matter of social justice. At present, the presidents of four Devaswom Boards have about a year remaining in their terms, while the president of the Cochin Devaswom Board has eight months left. It can be hoped that the UDF Cabinet will certainly consider Kodikunnil’s demand.