Kerala: VS continues tirade against royal family

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Continuing his tirade against Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, head of Travancore royal family, Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said that the holding of ‘devaprasnam’ could be viewed as a suspicious act on the part of the royal family to create hurdles for the Supreme Court in implementing its directives.  Lashing out at the people who are being subservient to the erstwhile royal family, at a seminar organised by Social Science Rainbow on ‘Treasure trove of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and democratic Kerala’ here on Saturday,  Achuthanandan said that the Supreme Court had ordered the preparation of inventory in all the vaults and its documentation. However, in the guise of  ‘devaprasnam’ which was done with astrologers of their own choice and without acquiring the consent of the Supreme Court, the royal family was trying to challenge the court. The ‘devaprasnam’ had very conveniently stated that the B vault should not be opened, he said. Achuthanandan said that the royal family members must drop the use of ‘thirunal’ attached to their names. ‘’There is nothing wrong in relating stars with names. But putting it across as a royal sign and forcing others to use it is promoting a sense of slavish mentality,’’ he said.  Instead of the affixing names with ‘thirunal’, the members of the family must shift to names suitable to the democratic times, he said.  In no erstwhile princely state of India does the royal relics still exist with such force like in Thiruvananthapuram, he said.  Achuthanandan said that the lower courts and the apex court had put forward their opinion in the management of the temple. The courts had said that a Trust on the model of Guruvayur Devaswom managed by devotees should be established in the place of the Trust which is now being managed by the royal family and the favourites of Marthanda Varma. However, this is yet to be done.   In 1750, Marthanda Varma had started new rituals and customs which were till then not known. It was he who introduced the concept of Padmanabha dasa. S, there is no point in saying that rituals cannot be changed and those followed in olden days should continue in modern times too, Achuthanandan said.