| Press Release |
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Press Release:
New Delhi, April
3, 2004
Protest
by sanyaasins and
dharmic people against
attempts
to revive the barbarous, criminal practice of
THOOKKAM
(‘HANGING')
in
Elavoor Putthankavu Devi Temple, Kerala
The inflamed Controversy: Thookkam
(‘Hanging’) is a barbarous, criminal ritual being
practiced in Elavoor Putthankavu Devi Temple. Elavoor
is close to Adi Shankaracharya’s birthplace Kaalaty,
near Ankamally, Ernakulam District, off Cochin. Thookkam
consists in piercing two
metal hooks to the back of a ‘hired’ religious
professional, and lifting him in a scaffold 32 ft high.
The person going through this torture is lured with a bait
of Rs.10,000. The scaffold is then taken around the Temple
as a lawless frenzied crowd exults in looking at the
hanging victim, making all believe that the victim is
hanging on the wings of devotion. Utter lawless frenzy
drowns the whole scene, disabling any one to know of the
agony and torture of the fete!
When stopped, how: Following
the protest launched by Poojya Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha,
Hind Navotthana Pratishtan, with Poojya
Swami Purushothama Tirtha, General
Secretary of Hind Navotthanta Pratishtan and other
Sannyaasins in the year 1987, this deplorable act
had been stopped publicly, with the intervention of
Government. But
after a gap of 16 years, the threat to revive this
uncivilized act has cropped up.
On 11th
March 2004, Poojya Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha along with
Poojya Swami Purushothama Tirtha and other Sannyaasins
re-launched their protest against Thookkam. Sannyasins and
the devotees demand that the temple committee immediately
put an end to the Thookkam practice by maintaining the
status quo.
Addressing
the press on 12 March 2004 Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha said,
“The religious and social psyche of the land
has to be emergently awakened against the fanatic and
clandestine move by Elavoor Putthankavu Temple
Committee to re-start the bloody, barbaric, criminal
Thookkam ritual, after it was stopped 16 years ago”. Swami
Purushothama Tirtha said, “’Spiritual protest’ against
‘religious evil’ has its unassailable
distinction. To employ sublime innocent devotional
offerings for buying whimsical hearts or seats of
authority and ushering in criminal indulgences, is
disastrous.”
The first dharmic crusade in 1987:
Sannyaasins
of the Hind Navotthana Pratishtan – with 7 Temples vested
with them by the people and Cochin Devaswam Board – along
with hundreds of devotees protested this barbaric ritual on
‘Scriptural grounds’. Administration intervened. In the
largest Elavoor public meeting, a 1001-member committee
headed by RSS and VHP leaders ratified the ‘Poomootal’
(floral covering of Deity) as a substitute for
Thookkam in 1987. The
substitute was arrived at based on an astrological session
called Ashtamangalya Prashna. The matter ended there.
As on today Poomootal has been booked already up to
the year 2017, revealing unambiguously how well the
substitute is flourishing.
Why
world needs to be exhorted in the matter:
Such grave
threats cannot wait the least. Public must be enlightened
right when the need arises. In
fact, this will go to unmask the substance and style of
political hearts, behind their seeming faces. People must
know where and in whom lies dependability.
Double standard in running Administration is
condemnable.
Following
are the significant reasons why such an uncivilized act must
be immediately stopped:
q
The malignancy, if
allowed to escalate and flourish, is sure to spread to
the whole nation and beyond. Many fanatic groups will
unleash anarchy, barbarism and criminality and the
proliferation will be in leaps and bounds
q
It will also lead to cross-religious impact
of unpredictable kinds and levels. The media needs to
fulfill its role in upholding eternal values, side by side
with contemporary ones. Thookkam utterly
violates all scriptural, sober religious and devotional
standards, and desecrates sanctity of Temple Precincts
q
The
Thookkam ritual is criminal and unconstitutional in
nature
q
It is reprehensible
for any enlightened society; retards the effective
effort of disseminating cultural and heritage values as
well as Hindu Dharma. It is anti Hindu and anti-national
In a time
when religion is grievously charged for not guiding
people prudently for peaceful propriety and restraints, it
behoves the press to assist in activating rightful thoughts
and response in the matter.
Here is a spiritual voice for religious
fanatics to heed and mend themselves.
Sheer Lawlessness:
Flouting
all astrological and Temple Institution norms, the Temple
Advisory committee pays no heed to the decision on 27th
March 2004 made by Ooorayma Devaswam Board (under
whom reigns the Temple) not to tamper with existing
Temple practices but preserve status quo. Temple people
are out to demolish the Temple compound Wall.
Their 4th attempt on 28th night with
pickaxe, crow bar, etc. was stopped by the local Paura
Dharma Samiti, the Thookkam
opponents, by calling Police, who patrolled the area
throughout night. The clandestine Thookkam revival move has
inflamed the controversy, far in excess of 1987 measure.
Poojya Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha questioned the credibility
of the Administration, saying “Is this not an instance of
temple anarchy being abetted by Administration for ineffable
reasons? Once stopped with Govt. intervention, how can the crime be
allowed now? What creditability can citizens repose in Govt.
then?”
23rd
April is the date set for the Thookkam ritual. On 14th
March, the one to be hanged for the ritual was administered
the oath for Thookkam by the temple committee.
Latest
Protest Steps:
q
Sanyasins with hundreds of
devotees will observe Kshetra Pavitrata Shayana Vratam –
lying before the Thookkam scaffold in the temple as a
purificatory measure.
q
On 27th Mar,
District Collector, Ernakulam, spoke to Poojya Swami
Bhoomananda Tirtha and pleaded ignorance of the conflict.
Poojya Swamiji then expressed his wonde to him – “Can
Intelligence fail, as in Kargil!”
q
On 28th Mar,
telegrams were sent to Kerala DG of Police and DG of
Intelligence from New Delhi, where Poojya Swami Bhoomananda
Tirtha is now for his yearly programmes, to alert the Govt.
and circumvent the local Police apathy.
q
On 30th Mar,
Poojya Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha wrote to the Chief Minister
of Kerala, Shri. AK Antony (while he was camping in New
Delhi), appraising him of the situation and exhorting to
preserve the ‘status quo’ while protecting the safety of
the protesters. This letter was delivered by hand.
Reminding
the world of the need to take a rational approach in
resolving the matter, Swami Bhoomananda Tirhta said, “As
the Constitution lays down, every citizen has to be
rational, scientific and civilized in all ways. Are Temple
precincts and people excluded from the criminal purview of
the land? A punishable act cannot be adorable, if hoisted in
Temple. Whims and fancies should not rule and desecrate the
sacred citadels of Temples. Or else, all our cohesion,
rational growth and constitutional safeguards will flee.”
For details
on Thookkam, please visit: http://www.brahmavidya.org/thookkam.htm
For further information, please
contact:
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Swami
Bhoomananda Tirtha
Narayanashrama Tapovanam
Venginissery, P.O. Paralam, Trichur,
Kerala - 680 575
Phone:
0487-2278363, 2278302
Email: ashram1@sancharnet.in
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Shri.
Vinod Tiwari
Centre for Inner Resources Development
Sector 5A, Vasundhara,
Ghaziabad District,
Uttar Pradesh - 201 012
Phone:
98101 22072
Email: cirdindia@hotmail.com
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