Despite 2018 Flashpoint, Hindu Outfits Back Vijayan Government As BJP Battles Alone On Ayyappa Summit In Sabarimala

The Kerala BJP’s campaign against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s plan to host a global Ayyappa summit has lost momentum, with two of the state’s most influential Hindu organisations extending support to the event, the Indian Express reported.

The “Global Ayyappa Sangamam,” scheduled for 20 September at Pamba, marks the 75th anniversary of the Travancore Devaswom Board, which administers the Sabarimala shrine.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the summit, which is expected to draw devotees and spiritual leaders from across the world.

The conclave comes against the backdrop of the 2018 Sabarimala controversy, when the LDF government backed the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of menstruating age to enter the temple.

The crackdown on protesters, including arrests and clashes, had fuelled widespread anger among devotees and given the BJP a political opportunity to mobilise around “protecting faith.”

However, the Nair Service Society (NSS) and SNDP Yogam, both of which played prominent roles in the 2018 agitations, have now endorsed the summit.

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The NSS agreed to participate after securing an assurance that politicians would not be part of the organising committee. Its general secretary, G Sukumaran Nair, said the event would be meaningful only if it upheld traditional temple practices.

SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan also backed the initiative, calling the 2018 row “a closed chapter” and stressing that the present focus should be on preserving rituals.

This support has left the BJP isolated. The party has demanded the withdrawal of cases filed against devotees in 2018 and questioned the government’s “political motives.”

Yet, with key Hindu groups rallying behind the summit, the BJP finds itself fighting a lone battle over an issue it once hoped would consolidate Hindu sentiment against the Left.

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