Thiruvananthapuram: As Karnataka is witnessing debates over the demand for banning activities of the Rashtriya Swayamseva Sangh (RSS) in government spaces, a ban imposed on the RSS in temples under the State devaswom boards in Kerala is still in place
While devaswom board officials say that they are maintaining a strict vigil, sources
close to the RSS said that many non-Hindus, especially Christians, were increasingly
becoming part of the RSS. Hence, many sakhas were operating from private buildings
away from temples.
The RSS has the second-highest number of sakhas in Kerala, with around 5,500, after
Uttar Pradesh, which has around 8,000. Many shakas in Kerala used to function near
temples.
It was in 2023 that RSS’ activities at temples under the Travancore and Malabar
devaswom boards were banned, subsequent to an order of the Kerala High Court on a
petition by some devotees against the RSS activities at the Sree Sarkara Devi temple
at Chirayinkeezhu in the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram. The petitioners alleged
that the mass drills and weaponry training by the RSS on the temple premises were
affecting the devotees’ right to worship.
The devaswom boards’ circular banning RSS activities had warned temple officials of
disciplinary action in case of failing to report RSS activities in temple premises and
also directed devaswom vigilance to carry out surprise checks.
Travancore Devaswom Board vigilance officer Sunil Kumar V told DH that they used
to act in case of specific complaints of RSS activities in temples under the board. “We
are not getting many complaints these days. There were isolated instances in which
we had taken steps to prevent it,” he said.
This story was originally published in deccanherald.com. Read the full story here.
