The Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition to appoint a broad-based committee instead of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore to manage the temple. The petition alleges large-scale mismanagement and possible theft of gold ornaments over the years.
Simultaneously, the court is hearing a petition by Subramanian Swamy and TG Mohandas, seeking to wind up the five Devaswoms and end state control of Hindu temples. Christian and Muslim religious places were exempted from state control by British colonialists in the early 20th century following protests by the two communities. One of the provisions of the laws governing the Devaswoms requires an MLA — even a non-Hindu — to be a member of the committee. The petitioners contend that non-Hindu lawmakers often end up on the panel, jeopardising the interests of the Hindus.
Most of Kerala’s temples were owned by kings or royal families. After Independence, most of them came under the management of Devaswoms. The first government in Kerala led by Marxist leader EMS Namboodiripad and the one thereafter headed by Achutha Menon passed the Land Reform Act, which handed over thousands of acres of temple property to the cultivators, leaving the temples with little or no source of income. They were all subsequently brought under the control of the autonomous bodies.
Rahul Easwar, president of the Ayappa Dharma Sena, alleges that both the Congress and the CPI(M), which have alternated in power, packed the Devaswoms with their appointees of select castes with an eye on their vote banks.
Media reports have frequently highlighted allegations of mismanagement in the Devaswom, mostly to the effect that the assets have never been verified or inspected.
