Kerala CM in damage-control mode after minister's 'donkeys' jibe at tantris

G. Sudhakaran PWD Minister G. Sudhakaran | Facebook account of G. Sudhakaran

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was quick to get into damage-control mode on Sunday after PWD Minister G. Sudhakaran criticised the Sabarimala temple tantris (chief priests).

“Tantris are also humans. They may hold divergent opinions. But they will not try to take on the government,” Vijayan said.

According to Vijayan, some sections may be able to influence the tantris and mislead them. “However, all tantris are not like that. Tantris are the custodians of the temple and there will be no change in the situation. The government will not interfere in such matters,” he said. Vijayan alleged that some news organisations were spreading the wrong notion that the government had declared a war on the tantris.

“But I want to clarify that the government has a different opinion on the matter,” Vijayan stated.

Sudhakaran had launched a severe attack on the tantris, saying that they lacked even the divinity of the donkeys seen around Sabarimala. Vijayan’s statement came at the mass meeting organised by the LDF in Alappuzha soon after Sudhakaran made the comment. Sudhakaran’s speech was delivered at the anniversary of the ‘Villuvandi Yatra’ organised by the Akhila Kerala Cheramar Hindu Mahasabha.

Sudhakaran had also said they (tantris) do not appear to have any attachment or concern towards Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity of Sabarimala.

Sudhakaran had been critical of the Sabarimala tantri family ever since it threatened to close down the temple if women in the age group of 10 to 50 arrived to pray at the shrine in line with a Supreme Court verdict.

The present chief tantri, Kandararu Rajeevaru, had said he would close down the shrine at the peak of agitation in October.

The members of the Kandararu family hold the tantric rights of the Sabarimala temple. The shrine had been witnessing protests against the implementation of the September 28 Supreme Court verdict permitting entry of women of all age groups into the temple.