Nair society chief slams Kerala CM for endorsing Sivagiri monk's call

Kottayam: General Secretary of the influential Nair Service Society (NSS) in Kerala, G Sukumaran Nair, criticised Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for endorsing a prominent monk's call for the abolition of practice requirement of male devotees removing their upper garments before entering temples. He stated that temple customs should not be interfered with by the government or any individual, emphasising that each temple has its traditions, PTI reported.

NSS was in the front line during the agitation against the entry of women into the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple six years ago.

He made this statement while speaking at a public meeting organised as part of the Mannathu Padmanabhan Jayanthi celebrations at the NSS headquarters in Changanassery. The meeting was inaugurated by senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala.

Nair's statement comes two days after the CM endorsed remarks made by Swami Satchidananda, the head of the renowned Sivagiri Mutt founded by sage and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, who described the practice as a "social evil" and called for its abolition.

Responding to the NSS General Secretary's criticism, Swami Satchidananda stated that such views "do not reflect the teachings of Mannathu Padmanabhan, the social reformer and founder of the NSS." “Mannam never commented on entering temples while wearing a shirt. Hence, Sukumaran Nair's remarks cannot be attributed to the thoughts of the social reformers,” he said.

"As a follower of Sree Narayana Guru, I have the right to express my views on this matter," the Sivagiri Mutt president said, adding that Kerala needs "more progressive changes".

Further extending his support for the monk's statement, Vijayan said at a press conference on Wednesday that a Devaswom Board in Kerala is planning to end the long-standing practice of requiring male devotees to remove their upper garments before entering temples.

Criticising the stance of the CM and the Sivagiri Mutt, Nair questioned whether only the Hindu community is subjected to such interpretations.

"Christians and Muslims also have their customs. Does the Chief Minister or the Sivagiri Mutt have the courage to criticise them? The Chief Minister should not have supported this. Every temple has its rituals and customs, which should be respected and adhered to accordingly," Nair said.

Responding to Swami Satchidananda's statement that temples associated with Sree Narayana Guru would abolish this practice, Nair said, "This is the stance of the NSS. Temples that do not require wearing an upper garment should continue as such. The perception that everything can be imposed upon Hindus or that they can be coerced is unacceptable."

In his speech during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage Conference, attended by Chief Minister Vijayan, the Swami stated that the practice of removing upper garments was introduced in the past to check whether men were wearing the "poonool" (the sacred thread worn by Brahmins).

The monk also stated that the practice was against the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru and expressed sadness that even some temples associated with the sage-reformer continue to follow it.