Temple entry row: CPI(M) throws weight behind CM

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had endorsed the call to end the practice of male devotees removing shirts before entering temples

The war of words over the criticisms raised by the Nair Service Society (NSS) general secretary against the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for endorsing the call to end the practice of male devotees removing shirts before entering temples continued to rage on Friday with Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan throwing his weight behind the CM.

Inaugurating the CPI(M) Kottayam district conference delegates’ meet at Pampady on Friday, Mr. Govindan argued that Mannathu Padmanabhan, the founder of the NSS, would never have emerged as a leader had he not stood against regressive practices. He also highlighted Mannam’s progressive legacy, emphasising his role in championing renaissance values and leading the historic Savarna Jatha from Vaikom to Thiruvananthapuram in support of oppressed communities.

“The NSS general secretary’s stance that customs and practices should remain unchanged is fundamentally flawed. Kerala society must engage in meaningful discussions about this,” he said.

Defending the CM’s remarks on Sanatana Dharma, Mr. Govindan pointed out its roots in the caste-based Chaturvarnya system propagated by the Manusmriti. “Sanatana Dharma institutionalises casteism, marginalising communities like SC/STs, OBCs, and OECs by labelling them avarnas,” he stated.

The CPI(M) State secretary also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using Sanatana Dharma as a tool to advocate for a new constitution grounded in caste hierarchies. He also criticised Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan for endorsing Sanatana Dharma, accusing him of aligning with the BJP’s regressive ideology.

CPI(M) district secretary A.V. Russel presided over the event. CPI(M) central committee members T.M. Thomas Isaac, K.K. Shailaja, and C.S. Sujatha, and State secretariat member V.N. Vasavan were present.