Thiruvananthapuram, 29 August : The CPI-M which has been ruling Kerala since 2016 has started seizing all Hindu temples in the State. The latest incident featuring Lord Shiva Temple in the heart of Ernakulam city has sent shock waves across the Hindu community.
Akhil Damodaran, Devaswam Officer, Shanu M Mohan and two other staff members were caught red-handed by the devotees when they found them in an inebriated condition inside the temple. The duo along with the employees were consuming liquor and non-vegetarian food like chicken and duck inside the temple.
According to devotees who pay their obeisance at the temple without failure, these were leaders and activists of the temple employees union affiliated with the CITU, a CPI-M trade union wing. Since the CPI-M comrades do not believe in God or the temple, they behave like bulls in China shops. “Consumption of liquor and non-vegetarian dishes inside the temple has become the order of the day in Ernakulathappan Temple,” said A Jayashankar, a political critic in Kerala.
Since Damodaran and Mohan are under the protection of the CPI-M district secretary C N Mohanan, nobody would take any action against the erring temple employees. Both Damodaran and Mohan have serious cases pending against them viz consuming alcohol and non-vegetarian food besides misbehaving against women and physically challenged persons. But being trade union activists, they enjoy special status in the party hierarchy and in civil society. The pro-CPIM media in Kerala blacked out the news and the social media came out with a detailed account of what happened in the temple.
The Kerala High Court suo motu cognizance of the incident and asked the Kochi Devaswam Board to initiate action against the erring staff. Jayasankar said that Damodaran and Mohan launched a hafta programme for the temple employees by which a part of the offerings made by the devotees would be offered to them and thus they have ensured the silence of the staff.
The Kerala High Court has asked the Devaswam Board which administers temples in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts to file a status report on the irregularities alleged to have taken place in these temples. Interestingly, Ernakulam Siva Temple is patronized by all prominent members of the society and funds were not an issue for the administration.
