Taking the cue from a recent High Court verdict, the Kerala government-run Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has banned the RSS and other organisations with “extreme ideologies” from operating on the premises of temples run by the board. The RSS has come out against the board’s directive, which it claims is part of a CPI(M) bid to take control of the day-to-day affairs of temples in Kerala. The board, which controls 1,200-odd temples in Kerala, including the hill shrine of Sabarimala, on October 20 issued a circular asking officials to conduct surprise checks at temples to ascertain whether “the RSS or organisations with extreme ideologies conduct their branches, mass drills, gatherings or weapons training at the temples”. It said there have been complaints that the RSS and other groups have encroached on the premises of many temples and are “working against the sanctity” of the temples and the interests of devotees. Under the cover of night, these organisations are conducting weapons training and mass drills, the board said. The circular said stringent action would be initiated against officials who fail to crack the whip against the functioning of the RSS or extreme organisations at temples. Besides, single-coloured flags, "which resemble those of any political or religious organisations (seen as directed at the RSS)", are not allowed on the temple premises. The circular also asked officials to remove photos of persons not related to temples, symbols of political parties and community organisations and flags from temples or their premises with immediate effect. While the CPI(M) government in Kerala had earlier too come out against the RSS conducting "mass drills on land owned by temples", the TDB order has several other clauses which derive from a high court order from last month pertaining to the Sree Sarkara Devi temple at Varkala. Acting on a petition from two devotees, the division bench of the court had directed that the TDB manage properties and affairs at the temple. “No mass drill or weaponry practices shall be permitted in the premises of the said temple,” the court said. The bench had also quoted an earlier verdict on a different petition saying: “A worshipper or a devotee has no legal right to insist that saffron/orange-coloured decorative materials alone are used for festivals in a temple under the management of the TDB.” RSS prantha karyavahak (state general secretary) P N Eswaran said the circular banning the RSS in temples is politically motivated. “The CPI(M) wants to take control over the temples in Kerala. In the past also, the TDB had issued circulars to restrain the RSS at temples. But this time, the order is harsh covering more activities. Even a photo cannot be placed on the temple premises. A situation has been created in which the role of the devotees has been reduced to pray and pay at the temples. There is no tension at any temple now over the RSS functioning. This directive is not going to stop RSS activities in Kerala,” he said. The RSS leader claimed advisory boards in many temples have been disbanded and replaced with CPI(M) nominees. Adding that they were looking at legal remedies, Eswaran said that officials at temples have so far not acted against the RSS so far based on this circular. "In many temples, RSS people are actively engaged in daily affairs. It is not that easy to keep our workers away from temple affairs." Senior CPI(M) leader and TDB president K Ananthagopan said there was nothing political in the latest directive. "It is meant to protect the interests of devotees, who want peaceful temple premises. They are against arms training at temples. In the past also, the board issued circulars. But the incident at Sarkara temple showed that arms training and conduct of mass drills could not be prevented. Hence, we have brought out the fresh circular with stringent conditions," Ananthagopan said.
