Two days after his narration of an incident of caste discrimination he faced at a temple caused much outrage in the state, Kerala’s Devaswom Minister and the CPI(M)’s chief Dalit face, K Radhakrishnan, was in a forgiving mood.
When contacted by South First, Radhakrishnan said he spoke of the issue so that he may change the perspective of people rather than to create a controversy. He also advised those who followed him not to protest against the temple authorities.
A State Secretariat member of the CPI(M) with a blemish-free record, Radhakrishnan also ruled out any possibility of initiating legal proceedings against those who discriminated against him, based on his caste.
This, despite the fact that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Tuesday, 19 September, termed the incident “shocking”, and promised follow-up action.
Embarrassing for CPI(M)
Political observers believe Radhakrishnan, who represents Chelakkara constituency in Thrissur district, has mellowed his position as the issue has become an embarrassment for the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala.
The LDF government often boasts of the state’s “renaissance values”, apart from taking credit for appointing Dalit priests in different temples since 2018 as part of what it calls its “inclusive policy”.
But the issue remains a topic of heated discussion, especially among Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan, who have been demanding the registration of police cases against those who discriminated against the minister at the temple.
CPI(M)’s youth wing, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), has also come out with a strongly-worded statement seeking action against those who attempted to defame Radhakrishnan.
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‘Caste system continues to prevail’
Radhakrishnan told South First that the caste system continues to be a stain in the minds of certain people across the country and it would be impractical to remove it instantly.
When asked why such episodes were happening in progressive Kerala, and that too against a senior minister who handles temple affairs, Radhakrishnan claimed that the stat had achieved a significant victory in eliminating caste-based discrimination compared to many others.
In general, Kerala society would not accept such evils at any cost now, he said. However, Radhakrishnan added that those who acted against him had a clear agenda to divide people using caste and communal barriers.
Radhakrishnan also slammed the caste system in Hinduism and said that those who created it had a clear agenda: “To keep people divided.”
It was while addressing a public function organised by the Velan Service Society, a community organisation of the Scheduled Caste Vellalar community, in Kottayam on Sunday, that Radhakrishnan disclosed the caste-based discrimination he suffered in January this year.
Radhakrishnan said: “When I was attending a temple function for the inauguration of its newly-constructed facilities, the temple’s chief priest came to me with a lamp for lighting. I thought the lamp was meant for me, but he (the chief priest) did not hand it to me. He went and lit the lamp himself. I kept away, assuming that it was part of the ritual at that temple.
“The chief priest then handed over the light to the assistant priest. I thought the light would be handed over to me after that, but they did not give it to me. Instead, they placed the light on the floor. They (priests) thought I would take up the light and kindle the lamp. Should I pick it? I told them to mind their business.”
Elaborating the incident at the temple, Radhakrishnan said that the priests showed no discrimination towards the money he and others like him donated to the temple.
“There is no discrimination towards the money offered by the poor at the temple — I said this in the presence of that chief priest,” he said.
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Speech sparks debate
The speech slowly became a topic of intense public discussion, despite the minister not naming the temple or the priests.
Now, amidst the growing demand for action against the temple priests, the minister clarified that he only attempted to sensitise people about the social evil, and he has no other plans.
Though the minister continues to protect the identity of the priests and the concerned temple, Malayalam television channels telecast visuals of the inauguration of the “nada pandal” at the Nambyathra Kovval Shiva temple in Payyannur in northern Kannur district, in which the minister was the chief guest.
It could be seen in the visuals that the priests were not handing over the small lamp to the minister and instead placed it on the ground.
Criticising the gesture, Payyannur MLA and CPI(M) leader TI Madhusoodanan told the media that he also participated in the function and strongly protested against it on that day itself. “The priests placed the fire lamp on the ground, but we didn’t bother to take it. It is an unacceptable and immature act,” he said.
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Temple tantri clarifies
Clarifying, the temple’s tantri (main priest), Padmanabhan Unni, spoke to the media, clarifying that there was no custom in place that prevented the priest from handing over the lamp to another person.
Unni said that it could have been the inexperience of the head priest that led to the incident and that no one could be blamed in the matter.
“In any case, it was a distressing incident for both parties. There is no point pinning the blame on anyone,” said the tantri. Unni also said that since he wasn’t at the shrine when the incident occurred, he could not further comment on the matter.
The event was held on Republic Day this year. In the meantime, DYFI’s statement said that the discrimination faced by the minister at the temple involves caste-based discrimination and challenges the progressive values cherished by Kerala for a long time.
It urged civil society to remain vigilant against those who fan the flames of violence and discrimination to insult the state and its social advancements.
A highly respected politician, Radhakrishnan served as Minister for the Welfare of Backward and Scheduled Communities and Youth Affairs from 1996 to 2001), Opposition Chief Whip (2001 to 2006) for the Kerala Legislative Assembly, and Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly (2006–2011).
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Satheesan demands stringent action
Giving a new twist to the controversy, Satheesan sought stringent action against the priests who discriminated against Radhakrishnan.
The Congress leader said that if anyone is trying to bring back untouchability, even after 100 years of Vaikom Satyagraha, it has to be taken seriously and the government has to take stringent action against the concerned people.
Terming the incident as “shocking and unfortunate”, Satheeshan asked why the minister hid this fact for so long.
“He (the minister) revealed this in a public meeting. I suggest that the government take action against the concerned people because 100 years ago, we conducted the Vaikom Satyagraha for the backward communities, the Dalit communities. In 1936, we had a temple entry proclamation, allowing entry to backward and Dalit communities to temples in Kerala,” Satheesan said.
He said that the minister should have officially complained about the incident and taken action against those who practised untouchability.
“It should not happen, not just to a minister but to anyone in Kerala. Imagine if this could happen to a minister; then what would be the attitude of such people towards a commoner?” he asked.
Satheesan said that it was the government’s responsibility to initiate action against those concerned. Otherwise, such incidents will recur elsewhere.
The issue has also evoked an intense debate in social media circles and people, irrespective of party affiliations, came down heavily on the temple authorities and urged the government to take action against the erring temple priests.
(With PTI inputs)
