Some customs have to be broken: Kerala CM took a dig on Sabarimala

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday accused the Sangh Parivar of trying to damage the secular credentials of the state and the Congress playing second fiddle to the RSS. 

He was addressing the LDF meeting here, the first in a series of statewide public meetings to explain the LDF government stand on Sabarimala beginning today.

“The real target of Sangh Parivar is to destroy the secular fabric of the state. But we will not allow these forces to destroy the secular way of thinking of the people. All secular, democratic thinking people including believers should come together to fight this agenda,” he said. The chief minister said during the renaissance movement several social evils, customs and practices were smashed by social reformers like Sree Narayana Guru, Chattambi Swami and Ayyankali. Modern Kerala emerged from social reform movements led by them, he said and added that certain customs and practices have to be broken. Sree Narayana Guru broke the custom when he installed Shiva idol in Aruvippuram. When the Savarnas questioned him about the idol, he said, "this is not Brahmin Shiva but our Sivan.” Later he went on to say that there was no need to construct any more temples and what was needed were schools. The Villuvandi agitation led by Ayyankali challenged the writ of the conservatives. He rode Villuvandi, wearing headgear and coat which were all prohibited for him at that time. The Savarnas burned the bench on which little Panchami sat in Ooruttamalam school. The half-burnt bench is still a testimony of the discrimination of those times. Kallu malas were broken, people walked on prohibited roads, entered temples marking a social revolution. The chief minister said the SNDP, KPMS, Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha and many other organisations had taken a positive stand on the Sabarimala issue. "A propaganda has been unleashed against the LDF government without understanding the reality. Some people have been misled. But we are hopeful of removing the misunderstanding," he said.

He said the state had a rich cultural tradition. From a land which was once called “mental asylum" by Swami Vivekananda became a model secular and democratic society because of renaissance movement. Now attempts are being made to drag the state backwards.

He said social reforms had been opposed at different times. Even after bringing legislation against Sati, over 8000 women had jumped into the pyre of their husbands. Ban on widow remarriage, isolation of menstruating women, women not being allowed to cover the upper part of their body, denial of inheritance rights to Christian women, polygamy in Muslim community, all these practices and customs were done away with on the strength of mass struggles.