Among the 190 odd countries in the
world there is a country called India, and in this vast country there is a
little state (about 1% of land mass) called Kerala tucked in southern tip. In
here there is little hill, that is part of western ghats, wherein is located a
small temple that has its own local god who goes by the name Ayappa. Embarrassingly,
despite claims of miraculous control over universe and fate of humanity, people
across world are unaware of this god, indeed most Indians too are unaware (in the stampede
of millions of gods!) and are least bothered. This ‘powerful’ god has a
backstory worked by sinister squatters (who squatted by evicting local tribes –
who in the right mind can believe that inbred mediocre squatter had the courage
to reside in these thick forested hill even a century back!) and is
conveniently related to local nincompoop (read king) -the connection to power and
wealth to awe the herd on blessing. The story weaves the miracle of god riding a
tiger (of all possible choices!) -wild animals are deemed as compliant to
blessing and easy disposable props to work narration to impress herd. Whatever
cringe the so-called faith or religion carries if it presents possibilities for
herd to evolve and help find their humanity then it is tolerable. Far from it
these conceptions are meant to trap hapless people into worst possibilities. To
start with the feudal connection of the god -an acknowledgment of power as
blessing, as also intrinsic framework that makes it impossible to value
wildlife that must be cared and respected as part of biodiversity. What makes
this temple, that is located in eco-sensitive zone (vandalized by
hordes of visitors), particularly sinister is barbaric practices and misogynist
ways that it seeks to nurture among herd. Few years back there was movement
against these barbaric practices but fizzled out since the politicians and media realized
the worth of herd as voters and viewers, and the judiciary too worked the lowest
denominator to please herd. Religions, practices or traditions, that nurture
discrimination or promote degradation in the garb of faith should never find
place in liberal space. Aware sane people must be vigilant against sinister forces (like clever corrupt politicians and legacy media with entrenched self serving narration) that seeks to patronize herd and nurture
lowest denominator. There is an immense loss to humanity if these barbarians
find breathing space. They have been constant threat to humanity over
centuries.
Crude forms of religion and faith
devolves into cruder followers as they get further enmeshed in deceit and
trapped in their misery and fate. What we see among most religion is absence of
space for contemplation, self-reflection, aspire for better self and collective
empathy, instead there is a stampede to trap people into herd and grow for influence, values of
exceptionalism and supremacism that infects as it grows. Sabarimala presents
crudest possibilities therein. Instead of austere values and evolved simplicity in the midst of verdant forest what we see is vulgar display of wealth i.e. gold -again a wink at power and
wealth as definitive indication of blessing for herd to awe and pray for. In
this deviant construction God is necessarily an embodiment of power and wealth
presented in all its crudeness to herd to ingrain and create deviant aspiration
for the same. Add to it toxic misogynism that amplifies patriarchy and
ever-present degradation of squatter that normalize caste -putrid pit that is
carefully nurtured. Crony capitalist nepotistic businessmen gift gold
to further dig the pit and please the herd controllers. They therefore become
favored in tapping state largesse and pose as industrialist ready to take
GDP to stratospheric heights to make India proud. One fellow who is now a
fugitive and hiding in UK presented gold door to temple while he actively
denied salary to his employees nor returned loans and tried to use nepotistic
contact with powerful people to troll the system as he fled. Ideally these
‘gifts’ must be confiscated from temple by authorities or if there is any
morality the temple itself must return it. Morality has lowest compliable denominator in
adept exigencies. In sabarimala case the corrupt foundation attracted all kind
of devious people. Squatter priest finds himself arrested for embezzling temple
gold while another one used these golden paraphernalia to make easy money by lending it for
ritual to powerful insecure herd members looking for more blessing in their
miserable incorrigibly vacant life. While legacy media adroitly works out narration to
keep the herd riveted and controlled to please their paymasters devious politicians work
semantic flourish for the same. Nobody is interested in finding out the truth
since there was never any truth in the edifice constructed on lies and deceit, it’s
all a ritual that replicate meaninglessness and utter immorality of sanctum. Meanwhile
soul wrenching songs praising lord Ayappa blares from nearest speaker. The
stench of a society that is incapacitated to evolve is unbearable. They even
degrade ideas of democracy into their fold that outsiders mistake as vibrant.
The reason why Kerala has high HDI and literacy can be pointed to early
Christian influence -that is 2000yrs old, all other factors are only cascading
influence including communism, early egalitarian Islam and free flowing traders
from across the world. Despite these Kerala remains a case study for contemporary
world on why literacy cannot become education, healthy body cannot guarantee
healthy mind. It’s a putrefying pit with middle class aspirations showcased as
modernity and consumption as progress. Though one must add, public space etiquette,
collective decency and hygiene standards, are much higher than most part of the
country. Youngster, though primed in putrid pits, have better chance to evolve
as most travel to West for higher studies as also influence of social media.
Further, a thin crust of highly creative and vibrant subaltern is always present and gives
hope -these sometimes do break into staid cringe mainstream.
As human vultures stampede sabarimala to milk spiritual yearnings of common people with claims and counter claims on wanton corruption, the judiciary laments “you did not even spare god”. There is another annual hoax that is normalized but never discussed since it will rip the mask. A celestial light is supposed to appear on assigned day and time over the temple (nice) as spontaneous supernatural event that the devotees/herd see it as divine sign of Ayappa’s blessing. There is a stampede to witness this miraculous ‘prediction’. So, while rest of humanity goes about blissfully ignorant, a divine miracle, especially conjured by blessed with otherworldly connections and a humble acknowledgment of their unknowable entitled wisdom, is being sent directly from cosmos to a little hillock in south part of India with enviable precision. The only hitch is that it is lit by temple authorities (essentially state) from a hidden spot! Poet and writer Sugathakumari, much respected and loved who passed away during covid, wrote “it is a sin to commit this fraud”. Some call it state sponsored ritualistic superstition. When I was a kid, I distinctly recall there used to be a oversized magazine called “Illustrated Weekly” -it used to be quite popular and carried big photographs that I liked to stare at and flip through in the library, they once exposed this fraud at sabarimala. Even communists participate in this sham without any shame or irony. Meanwhile inbred herd controlling legacy media ‘report’ this as main news! Interestingly while communist controlled media use word “thelichu” legacy media mentions it as ‘thelinju’. Technically both are correct, one says “was lit” other says “lit”. The difference is in deviousness, while ‘was lit’ is correct description, “lit” keeps it subjective hence an option for divine interpretations -a miracle to keep herd rivetted. Ideally a responsible media must show transparency and should not latch on to the narration of ‘divine miracle’ or else they too are complicit in this fraud.
*I rarely read newspaper
(it took pandemic to shed the habit, and I am quite thankful) nor do most people,
the other day I went to reading room to check how this sabarimala hoax was
reported, and presto there we have good old wily Kasturi&sons adept in their
game. They ‘reported’ it as “celestial light appears”. Imagine these sc*undrels
had major influence in setting narration and defining news for this vast nation
before social media. It is not a wonder that Indians suffered, languishing at
bottom of HDI and quality of education, while lacking any redeeming quality and character they played caste and fed West
with tales of mahatmas and pandits visiting earth. The degradation is such that
even now Indian youngsters do not have access to quality education and have to migrate
to West. What a disgrace.
