Thiruvananthapuram: With just hours left for the opening of Sabarimala temple for Thulamasa puja, CPM politburo member M.A. Baby spoke to DC at length on his party’s and LDF government’s stand on the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the hill shrine.
Q: Is the CPM worried about a large number of people thronging streets against Sabarimala verdict?
A: There are people who have their own limitations in understanding the SC judgment, constitutional position and necessity for reforms. Some are sincerely agitated because of their “genuine” apprehensions. But there is a motivated move to mislead a vast section of people, and there is a definite method in the mobilisation. Efforts to change rituals and practices have often been confronted with strong opposition. In the present case, it is not a change. It is a status quo ante that was sought to be effected by SC because women of all ages used to go to Sabarimala earlier. But some sections fail to understand this. We are confident of patiently explaining it to agitators. They will surely get convinced and rally behind the democratic and secular consciousness. The BJP and Congress are trying to exploit the issue with the wicked motive of gaining an electoral advantage.
Q: How will the party convince the believers especially women?
A: All leaders from the chief minister, ministers and down will explain our position. They will engage with people directly, hold public discourse, meet people individually and interact with residents’ associations.
Q: It’s been decades since Kerala witnessed massive controversy over the social and religious issue? Is this a major challenge for CPM and LDF?
A: Actually we consider this as a very big possibility to engage people and explain about the history and how social changes have taken place. Many of the people who have taken to streets, they were not allowed to walk on the streets. If rituals and customs were to be followed, they would still not be walking on
the streets. When a resolution was moved in Sree Moolam Sabha for lifting restrictions on the road in Vaikom, it was with the vote of a person belonging to Ezhava community who were prevented from walking through that path, the resolution to open the road was defeated. That is the history. We will get an opportunity to explain all these issues to people.
Q: It is easy for BJP-Sangh Parivar to whip up religious and emotional issues to mobilise people. But isn’t explaining the issue logically going to be a tough task for CPM?
A: We don’t consider this to be a tough task. We consider this as a very enjoyable social, political and democratic exercise. We don’t want to antagonise innocent believers; we don’t see innocent believers posing a challenge. They can be very well convinced. And those who are motivated, they are doing it with an ulterior motive.
Q: Apprehensions are being raised that the CPM and the government might water down its stand in the face of huge public pressure?
A: Those who wish to visit a place of worship should have freedom. There is no questionof CPM and LDF interfering in that. It is also the understanding in the Indian constitution. This is what the Supreme Court has upheld, and we stand by that. But that does not mean we are going to collect people and take them forcibly to Sabarimala. We have great hope in the people. They will surely understand things in the right perspective.
