Pongala panel has little role for eves

Thiruvananthapuram: Attukal Pongala is recognised as the largest annual gathering of women by Guinness Book of World Records, but in the temple administration and festival committee, female representation is minuscule. Not one of the seven office bearers is a woman. In the 28-member executive committee, only four are women. In the 18-member main festival committee, the general convenor and nine sub-committee convenors are men. The only female presence in the festival committee, its joint general convenor V. Shobha, says that the number of women varies.

“Last year, the vice-president and joint secretary were female. There were also two women festival sub-committee convenors,” she says. Now, that adds to just four women last year as well. She says that in the sub-committees, 40% are women, but most are reluctant to be convenors, as it is a strenuous responsibility. That does not explain why a majority of trustees are men. Rahul Easwar, the scion of Sabarimala tantri family says, “There is indeed a clash between western feminism and Indian womanism. That is true. While feminist outlook seeks equality for all genders, we put women on a higher pedestal. That is the justification that we, the ones with a right conservative point of view, offer. The men are servants of the female goddess.”

But the question of patriarchy is irrelevant, as the temple does not belong to any trust or families, says Lakshmy Rajeev, the author of ‘Attukal Amma: The Goddess of Millions’. “The temple belongs to the public. It is the property of the Government . In 1979, when Attukal Bhagavathy Temple Trust was registered  it  was a  28-member committee , exclusively of Nairs. Later following a Compromise Decree the Trust expanded and it has nearly 100 Nairs as Trustees now . It was a corrupt method of forming a Trust in a secular state. In the Trust Deed, it is written, only Nairs living in Attukal  are allowed to be in the temple administration. That is a self-arrogated right, and legally invalid in a secular state and this has to be questioned” she says.