The tragedy that took 108 lives at the Puttingal temple in Kollam could not have come at a worse time for Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy as his party gear up to face a tough battle in May. But even as the disaster prompted many people to demand a ban on fireworks displays at temple festivals in the state, Thrissur Pooram, which started on Sunday, simply could not be denied its spectacle. Chandy had to do some deft manoeuvering to ensure that the Thrissur Pooram show went on in order to save the Congress some votes in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Since the Kollam tragedy on April 10, public opinion was growing in favour of banning pyrotechnics in Kerala. “Fireworks are not part of temple festivals,” stated the tantri and chief priest of the Sabarimala temple. Swami Prakashananda, head of the Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala, also criticised fireworks in temples. Some temples dropped plans for displays, while some Christian churches also banned them.
“A ban on fireworks is necessary since restrictions would not be effective,” said Kerala’s Director General of Police TP Senkumar. The Kerala High Court issued an interim stay on high decibel fireworks on April 12.
However, not all temple administrators and managing committees were in favour of a ban because many believers supported firework displays. In addition, performers at festivals and contractors feared that their earnings would suffer.
The Devaswoms, or trusts, organising the Thrissur Pooram warned against attempts to curtail fireworks at the festival. They said that in the absence of a pyrotechnics display, the festivities would be reduced to a set of mere rituals.
A sit-in protest followed on April 14, with even the Metropolitan Archbishop of Thrissur, Mar Andrews Thazhath joining in. “The temple managements should be allowed to perform fireworks,” he said, even though his position was at variance with that of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council. It is to be noted that Thrissur's Christian business community in Thrissur has a stake in the festival.
Other restrictions
The situation was compounded by the Forest Department’s decision to restrict the parading elephants at the Pooram. Elephants, it said, were not to be paraded for more than three hours in a day and not between 10 am and 5 pm. This would have further limited the way in which the Pooram has been practiced for years.
But when the organisers complained about this, Chief Minister Chandy quickly intervened and Forest Minister Thiruvanachoor Radhakrishnan promptly withdrew the department's circular. “The stipulations based on Captive Elephant (Management and Maintenance) Rules will no more be the law of the land,” said the minister.
Chandy also convened an all-party meeting to discuss the issue. Instead of banning fireworks, they should be restricted, he maintained. The government also took this position before the High Court and the Court relented. Moreover, there was a Supreme Court order allowing fireworks at Thrissur Pooram.
To placate the agitating Devaswoms, Chandy also travelled to Thrissur on Thursday to hold discussions with them. “Government will extend its full support to the Pooram festival,” announced the triumphant chief minister. He said that restrictions imposed by the High Court and safety precautions would be followed, as mandated by the law.
This climb down on Thrissur Pooram means that other places of worships could make demands about including fireworks at their celebrations.
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