Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led United Democratic Front’s promise to bring in a law to protect Sabarimala traditions isn’t violative of gender equality, but merely a means to uphold religious values, Kerala Congress chief Mullappally Ramachandran said.
In an exclusive interview to ThePrint, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramachandran said even “an agnostic like Jawaharlal Nehru” believed in protecting rights of religious worshipers.
“Gender equality is in the Constitution of India. The Congress’ stand is not against that. Who included such things in the Constitution? Ambedkar and great stalwarts (of Congress) included it in the Constitution… so we have nothing against gender equality,” Ramachandran said.
However, he insisted that the promise in UDF’s manifesto of protecting the traditions of the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala is merely “respecting the diverse views towards religion”.
“India is a secular state, with multiplicity of religion… and diversity of views and approach towards religion,” he said.
“Jawaharlal Nehru was agnostic, did not believe in any particular religion. He was the last person to go to any place of worship. Still he would say that ‘if any religious person’s rights are violated, I will be the first person to go along with you to protect your rights’,” he said.
Ramachandran added that raising the question of gender equality here wasn’t correct and that “you cannot go to places you aren’t expected to”.
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‘Let bygones be bygones’ — on Sabarimala flip-flops
In 2018, when the Supreme Court announced its verdict lifting the ban on the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple, the Congress party had officially welcomed the verdict calling it “progressive and far-reaching”.
However, soon after, leaders in Kerala Congress began singing a different tune — calling for a review of the verdict.
Then in 2019, when a five-judge constitution bench of the top court announced its verdict to refer the subject of women’s entry at Sabarimala temple to a larger seven-judge bench for re-examination, leaders in the Kerala unit of the party welcomed that too.
Asked about these flip-flops on the issue, Ramachandran asked for “bygones to be bygones”.
“We have promised the people that whenever we come back we will bring in a legislation that will protect the genuine interest of lakhs of true worshippers of Lord Ayyappa. This is our promise,” he said.
In February, the Congress in Kerala released a draft law called the Sabarimala Ayyappa Devotees (Protection of Religious Rights, Customs and Usages) Act, 2021, which would be brought in if the UDF came to power. According to the draft law, women violating the entry ban could face up to two years’ imprisonment.
‘BJP pumping crores of money to enter Kerala’
Ramachandran also spoke about how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to make inroads in Kerala “by pumping in crores of money”.
“Amit Shah, former national president of the BJP, was in Kerala to campaign. So, you can see they are trying their level best, they are pumping in money in crores to make sure they have a place in Kerala, but it is their wishful thinking,” he said.
In the 2016 elections, the BJP won the Nemom constituency in Thiruvananthapuram, making history by entering the Kerala assembly for the first time ever. Ramachandran called this BJP win as “a blemish on UDF”.
“Unfortunately, last time because of our doings and undoings, the BJP came into office. We were not very serious about that constituency, because of which these people created space for themselves for the first time in history. This was a blemish on us,” he said.
However, Ramachandran alleged that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the BJP were “hands in glove” and their goal together was to eliminate the Congress from Kerala. “As they have said at national level ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’, now they want to see Congress-mukt Kerala. This is their slogan and they have joined together for it,” he said.
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‘Jose Mani split won’t hurt us’
This is also the first assembly election the UDF will be fighting without the Kerala Congress (M), which split from the coalition in 2020 and joined hands with the LDF.
Kerala Congress (M), headed by Jose Mani, is the largest Christian party in the state, which has a nearly 19 per cent Christian population.
Ramachandran, however, played down the setback and said the community continues to support the UDF.
“Rahul Gandhi has been travelling in Kerala. Ernakulam, Allppey, Kotayam… I attended each place with him and the kind of enthusiasm and warmth with which he was welcomed was tremendous. These are Christian-majority regions,” he said.
Ramachandran also said the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led LDF is facing “massive anti-incumbency”.
“The people of Kerala are deeply agitated over the misrule of the LDF government. The economy is in doldrums, people are worried, they are deeply frustrated,” he said.
Kerala will vote on 6 April. The results will be declared on 2 May.
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It is extremely foolish of the Congress to promise a law on Sabarimala. The matter is in the SC now and everyone must await the verdict. If the SC stays with its original order, then any attempt by Congress and fundamentalist organizations to oppose this will be clear contempt of the SC.
There are many more vital issues for the Congress to focus on, but there is total lack of direction from Rahul Gandhi.
First, let Congress leaders shed their trademark hatred of 80% Hindus of this Great country!
Savarkar correctly said in 1950 , if all Hindus unite and vote as block voters , so called secularists and Anti Hindu congress led by Nehru will start wearing ** Janayu ** over their Nehru suits , it’s true congress will do anything to get power !! They can convert their religion in to Islam and Christianity and surprisingly even Being a Hindu.
Law to protect Sabrimala traditions would bring rich electoral dividends for Congress.