The Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajom (SASS) and many other Hindu organisations have opposed a move by the Travancore Devaswom Board to launch vegetable cultivation on Devaswom land near temples.
In a statement recently, Akkeeramon Kalidasan Bhattathiripad, SASS president and Tantri, said the TDB was bound to get permission of the presiding deity before taking such decisions.
‘Permission of deity’
“As per law, judiciary (court) is the guardian of the presiding deity, who is regarded as a minor, and, hence, obtaining permission from the court is mandatory,” he said.
Hindu Aikyavedi secretary K. Haridas too accused the TDB of violating temple custom by launching cultivation on temple land. Mr. Haridas and Mr. Bhattathirippad urged the TDB to drop the move.
TDB stance
Meanwhile, TDB president N. Vasu said the board’s farming project, Devaharithom, was aimed at fruitfully utilising nearly 3,000 acres of vacant land attached to temples. The TDB project was aimed at cultivating vegetables, fruit trees, coconut palms, flower plants, etc., on the Devaswom land, thereby making its contribution too to the government’s mission to make the State self-reliant in food production. He said the project had already been launched in Thiruvananthapuram district.
