Press Conference:   Thrissur, April 20, 2004

 

Yesterday, 19th April 04, the group of Sannyasins lead by the Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha, All-India President, Hind Navotthana Pratishthan, and Swami Purushottamanda Tirtha, Secretary HNP, was arrested at the gate of the Elavoor Puttenkavu Bhgavathi Temple. They were prevented and obstructed from entering the temple for evening worship by the local temple committee of a handful people. 

 

These persons locked themselves inside the temple thus preventing even the devotees from the Elavoor area to enter and conduct their usual worship and prayers. The shameful arrest of peaceful saints who are in fact capable of blessing the deity in any temple should be considered a slur on the people of Elavoor and elsewhere in this literate state of Kerala.

 

The district authorities from the Collector onwards including the Superintendent of Police, the RDO, and all the others had been informed in writing of the Vivekodaya Yatra (organised by the Elavoor Paura Samithi) and the intention of the Sannyasins and devotees to worship at the Elavoor Puttenkavu Temple at the end of the Yatra. It was under these circumstances that the government under whom the Temple Devasvoms function and the Police Department under whom people seek protection of their rights, allowed this shameful event of misrule to take place.

 

The gates were locked from within the temple by a group of youngsters who were shouting slogans against the Yatra.

 

Is a Temple gate to be kept locked during the worship hours? Are the Police and the responsible government expected to extend their support and shelter to them?

 

In the Chief Minister’s cabinet, we have a minister for Hindu Devasvam affairs, meaning that all matters connected with Devasvoms and Temples are the responsibility of this Minister. The word and concept of Devasvom is wide and not constricted to any single body or bodies. That the Minister-in-charge or even the Chief Minister himself did not utter a word about the shameful event is appalling and speaks of their distancing from the people and their sentiments.

 

Neither the RDO nor the Collector visited the place to see matters for themselves and find redress to the tension being built up.

 

It was the Village officer of Elavoor who was deputed to plead with us to avoid confrontation and keep peace. Sannyasins are harbingers of peace and they have only peace to offer anywhere. Is any more proof needed to establish the decline of governance here?

 

It was after more than an hour at the gates that the Police informed us Sannyasins that they were going to arrest us and physically remove us from the place. For this again they sought our cooperation since they did not have police vehicles for the purpose! We willingly cooperated as always with the authorities.

 

At the Ankamaali Police Station, the Circle Inspector of Police, Sri Chandrasekharan, we (including a number of children and women) were asked to give our names and addresses. Later we were told by the Dy. S P Sri Alex Varkey, that we were being released without telling us the reason for our arrest and detention in the Police Station.

 

This event has risen as an ominous comet in the horizon of Hindu temple governance by the government and freedom of pursuing one’s religious practices. Instead of immediately arresting and putting behind bars the suspended Sri Janardanan Nair (erstwhile Sreekaryam – manager- of KUDB), and enabling the new incumbent Sri Chandrasekharan Nair to assume office, they chose to put us under arrest.

 

We insist Thookkam and such other practices should also be immediately banned.

 

Ernakulam DCC President Sri Dhanapalan and Thrippunithura MLA Sri K Babu are said to be wielding the cattle stick to make the District Administration and Police inactive and permit lawlessness in the District. The result is that the goodwill of the people for the Government is fast ebbing out, in these days of election scenario. 

 

The election results are going to be, contrary to all calculations, completely subverted by this dislike of the people. The good governance image of the Chief Minister is almost lost.

 

On 22nd and 23rd devotees from various quarters of Kerala will flock to Elavoor Putthankavu in protest against the Thookkam, to be warmly welcomed and hosted by Elavoor village and Parakkatavu Panchayat.  The local residents by so doing will fulfil the objective of Dharma and earn the mercy and blessing of Putthankavu Devi.

 

Let not anybody foster the delusion that all will end with their arrest. If arrested and let off all of them will return to merge with  the Namajapites.  In Yagas, just as the yajaman does not take bath or put on unguents, like wise on 22nd and 23rd it will be a yaaga-tapas that the devotees in thousands will be observing in Elavoor Putthankavu.

 

By being a party to a handful 200 or 300 primitive and perverted minds in Elavoor, and their obstinacy in violating Temple Disciples, disregard of Tantra Shastras, committing Criminal offence, Tamasic ill adventures, the Antony Government has earned the ill will of enlightened Hindus, and only stand to lose their vote.  We wish to inform all concerned of this eventuality.  No point in opening the eyes later.

 

 

Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
All-India President – Hind Navotthana Pratishthan