P Muralidharan: Doctor who revolted against kuthiyottam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr P. Muralidharan, who first approached the Human Rights Commission against the piercing of flesh during Attukal Pongal, said that the ‘kuthiyottam’ ritual was not just a physical torture but an emotional one too for the boys. “These boys below the age of 12 are kept away from their parents and are allowed to watch them from afar, through the wooden bars of the building in which they are quarantined for seven days,” Dr Muralidharan said.

It was in 2014 that he approached the Commission against the ritual. “The Commission had forwarded the complaint to the Chief Secretary demanding action. The CS passed on the order to the Law Department. Still, no action was eventually taken by the then UDF government. The ritual was allowed to continue,” Dr Muralidharan said.

It was the regular flow of children to his clinic in Manacaud right after the Pongala that made him rebel against the custom. “They came with inflammation on the part where a pointed silver hook was pierced into their skin. Mostly I gave them a tetanus injection but in certain cases the wound had turned so worse that I had to prescribe antibiotics,” he said. The physician also felt that the pointed hook was not properly sterilised.”They claim that these needles are sterilised but what they actually mean is that they have smeared it with holy ash,” he said.

The doctor also found that the boys who were made to take part in the ritual also lost out in studies. “The festival takes place before the final exams and these boys, because they do not get any time to study, lag behind others in their class and school,” Dr Muralidharan said.

Temple Trust does not know lore behind ritual

Attukal Temple Trust members may not know much about the origin of ‘Kuthyottam’, but at a press meet held on Wednesday, they defended it vehemently calling it a traditional ritual for Attukal Amma. When asked about the lore which would explain the significance of this ritual, trust secretary K Sisupalan Nair said that he did not know. No other person from the trust offered an answer.

For the uninitiated, ‘Kuthyottam’ is a ritual which involves piercing the flanks of young boys. The members did not indicate whether there were plans to relook at ‘Kuthiyottam’. They said that since it was a ritual for Attukal amma, it could not be discussed frivolously. “Unlike political discussions which can be discussed by four people, this warrants elaborate discussion,” according to Sisupalan Nair.