THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram director P Parameswaran said that the furore about the recently-concluded Attukal Pongala festival - filing of the FIR against a large number of women devotees by the DCP, the withdrawal of the same and immediate suspension of the officer by the Chief Minister - was a calculated move by both the so-called secular political formations to curb, curtail and ultimately contain the biggest religious congregation of women by devious means. He said in a statement here that there was a series of unhealthy debates and even legal interventions by interested parties whose hidden agenda is to thwart the increasing popularity of Attukal pongala. It will have an adverse bearing on next year’s pongala festival by creating confusion and also a sense of uncertainty among the devotees, he said. The decision of the government to set up Attukal township is another step in the same direction. Under the guise of providing amenities for pongala, political representatives will be inducted into the administrative setup. The result will be direct and indirect encroachment into the autonomy of the temple and freedom of devotees. He pointed out that already Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple has come under the surveillance of the government. It is almost certain that very soon, a government-appointed and politically- dominated executive body will take over the administration also. Guruvayur and Sabarimala have also come under indirect government control. Disunity within the Hindu society is cleverly being exploited by political parties without fear of any adverse political fallout. The current protests and counter-protests over pongala should be an eye-opener to the Hindu society to close their ranks in matters concerning their temples and temple worship, he said.
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