Pilgrims question decision to stop Appam sales

The Food Safety Department’s (FSD) order to stop the production and sale of Appam at Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala has raised certain pertinent questions.

Officials of the FSD say the directive to stop the production and sale of Appam was issued on the basis of its finding that the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) had violated the High Court order of 2015, which prohibited reuse of the rice brought by the pilgrims in the Irumudikkettu.

The FSD authorities also said the rice flour samples collected from the Appam plant had tested negative for human consumption.

In its order of November, 23, 2015, a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Justices Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Anu

Sivaraman, had stated that the articles brought by pilgrims in the Irumudikkettu should not be reused or recycled.

The foremost question raised by pilgrims is “what made the TDB authorities sit quiet on the High Court order for all of 23 months, instead of taking necessary steps to procure quality rice for Appam preparation ?’.

The action taken by the FSD in the last quarter of the two month-long pilgrim season, and that too during the rush days of the Makaravilakku festival, has also cast suspicion on the department’s intention.

The FSD officials had been periodically inspecting the Appam-Aravana plant at Sabarimala since the beginning of the ongoing pilgrim season. Pilgrims appear perplexed over the inordinate delay in complying with the court order and the time chosen by the department to act against non-compliance of the HC order by TDB.

Mechanisation

Interestingly, the TDB decision of 2015 to fully mechanise the Appam preparation at Sabarimala too remains a non-starter, despite the successful installation of a demonstration unit in June, 2016.

The TDB still follows the practice of engaging contractors who have been running the business for the past several years. At present, about 200 workers are employed at the Appam plant. Mechanising Appam production would not only reduce the production cost but also enhance the Prasadom quality, besides addressing various hygeine problems.

However, the Appam offered to the presiding deity are of superior quality prepared at the Thidappally (kitchen) of the Ayyappa Temple.