Two women in the menstrual age group entered the Lord Ayyappa temple. (File)
An organisation of Kerala's forward Nair community on Sunday attacked the CPI(M)-led state government over the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple, accusing it of making planned move to impose atheism on the people, and called upon all religious bodies to make peaceful efforts to protect their faith.
Hitting out at the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, the Nair Service Society (NSS) alleged that the government was responsible for the violence in the state after two women in the menstrual age group entered the Lord Ayyappa temple violating its centuries-old tradition.
Noting that protecting the faith of any religious denomination is essential for existence of mankind, NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair, in a statement, said the Sabarimala issue was also linked with all religions and communities.
"No one should be allowed to demolish that faith," he said and urged the faithful and religious organisations to come forward to react peacefully against the government's move.
The influential outfit said the government has further complicated the Sabarimala issue which could have been resolved peacefully. He accused the government of unnecessarily clamping prohibitory orders, jailing Ayyappa devotees, creating anarchy in the state, telling lies to justify their motives, humiliating Hindu acharyas and challenging and mocking at the devotees.
This is not what people expect from a democratically-elected government, he said.
Mr Nair said majorities of the faithful seek to protect their faith by preserving age-old traditions of the temple.
The government also has the responsibility to protect the faith of the people. If the government fails to protect the faith, the faithful will come forward to do so. They cannot be blamed for it, the NSS general secretary said.
Faithful cannot be blamed for coming forward to protect their faith, Mr Nair said and accused the government of giving political colour to their protest.
The NSS has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all-ages to enter the hill shrine. The NSS had been opposing the entry of women in the menstrual age group into the temple right from the beginning and had impleaded in the Sabarimala issue in the Supreme Court.