Alappuzha: The rift with the government over the suggestions on reforms at the Sabarimala hill shrine will not affect the preparations for the impending pilgrimage season, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president Prayar Gopalakrishnan has said. “The present situation will no longer affect preparations for the Sabari season, set to begin in couple of months,” he told Deccan Chronicle on Sunday. Mr Gopalakrishnan had on Thursday publicly shot down a suggestion by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on introducing everyday darshan at the temple as well as Tirumala-type reforms for VIPs saying they were against the customs.
“What I had explained in the Thursday meeting was in the interest of Ayyappa bhakts though it was widely perceived as my stand,” Mr Gopalakrishnan said. “There is no question of a confrontation between the TDB and the government. But we cannot implement reforms hurting the interests of the bhakts. Introduction of daily dharshan and collection of huge amount of money for fast-track dhashan are unviable.” If the government is so concerned about the reforms, then it may issue a government order (GO) in this regard. “Then we can talk about it,” he said.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home & Vigilance) Nalini Netto offers prayers at Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Friday.
Asked whether he would quit if the government went ahead with the suggestions, the TDB chief said he would take it as his fate if the government would want him to do so. “I have never vied for positions in my carrier,” he explained. “I wasn’t sacked as chairman of MILMA (the milk cooperative) but I did take a call. I also stepped down as chairman of the Kerala Forward Community Commission. I was offered the Chadayamagalam assembly seat during the elections but I chose to stand by the TDB.”
He said his emotional repartee to the Chief Minister without an immediate provocation had to be seen in the backdrop of his statement a day before the meeting. “He termed a dawn- to- dusk sitting ritual at the temples under the Board as a form of agitation against the government,” he said. “If we had an intention to launch a protest against the government, then we would have organised it in front of the secretariat.”
Chennithala backs TDB chief
Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has expressed his support to Travancore Dewaswom Board President Prayar Gopalakrishnan in his verbal clash with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on issues reating to the special darsan facility accorded to VIPs in Sabarimala. Mr Chennithala added that any decision on Sabarimala shrine should be taken only in consultation with the devotees.
