Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar stated on May 24 in Thiruvananthapuram that temples should be governed and administered by devotees, and not by Devaswom Boards. He called upon devotees to work together earnestly towards this cause. The Governor was inaugurating the 59th state conference of the Kerala Kshethra Samrakshana Samiti.
He said it is important to investigate why temples that are swayambhoo (self-manifested) and thousands of years old are in dire need of protection. Foreign invaders did not enter Bharat solely with the intention of annexing and ruling the land—they had the sinister aim of dismantling our culture and values. That is why they attacked temples, which were the hubs of cultural exchange and activity. They desecrated and mutilated idols and carried out religious conversions—a process that still continues across the country.
Hon'ble Governor Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar inaugurated the State Conference of Kerala Kshetra Samrakshana Samithi at Priyadarshini Auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram. pic.twitter.com/SIMVAFkCEP
— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) May 24, 2025
The Governor added that Bharat’s unbroken history of thousands of years testifies to the fact that it has never invaded any country or destroyed places of worship. The reason is clear: Bharat has always followed the path of Dharma. The motto of our Supreme Court is “Yato Dharma: Sthato Jaya:”.
In the Mahabharata, Sreekrishna advised Arjuna to kill the unarmed Karna, because Karna had committed adharma. When confronted by forces of adharma, it is our duty to restore dharma. The world witnessed this during Operation Sindhoor. These are the times in which we must continue this inevitable karma.
The Governor continued that temples are not merely centres of worship, but also hubs of cultural learning. That is why goshalas (shelters for cows, calves and oxen), educational institutions and hospitals should be attached to temples—so that all aspects of social life and the environment can be nurtured.
The Governor was received with Poornakumbha. The reception committee chairman, Dr T.P. Senkumar (Retd. IPS), former State Police Chief, presided over the event. In his presidential address, Dr Senkumar stated that temples are uplifting society in times of moral decline, yet are in urgent need of protection. Government overreach and interference are widespread. Communist songs and images of communist leaders have found their way into temples. He emphasised that temples must become cultural and intellectual centres that impart the teachings of Sanatana Dharma to future generations.
Kummanam Rajasekharan, senior BJP leader and former Mizoram Governor, urged devotees to empower themselves to liberate temples from so-called ‘secular’ temple committees that continue to stifle them. He called for a Temple Administration Entry Proclamation. Delivering the keynote address, he noted that while Christians and Muslims have the autonomy to manage their religious institutions, Hindu temples are shackled by secular governance. Only Hindus are denied their constitutional rights. Courts and commissions have called for the release of temples from the suffocating grip of the state. Temple administration has not only been reduced to a ceremonial task but also turned into a platform for conspiring to erode the faith. Controls over temples are increasing by the day. Political leaders dictate temple rituals; even the timing of flag hoisting during festivals is fixed by ministers. He questioned why the government meddles in temple affairs. Kummanam added that temple extravagance must end, and temples should be transformed into centres of bhakti. Devotees must organise themselves so that temples can be liberated.
Addressing the conference, RSS Uttar Kerala Prant Karyavah P.N. Eashwaran stated that the tendency to incite caste-based riots must be curbed. Temple premises and rituals should be reformed to eliminate caste discrimination in all its forms. Hindu values are being removed from textbooks under the guise of syllabus reforms. Sanatana Dharma schools must be established within temple premises.
Kerala Kshethra Samrakshana Samiti president Mullappalli Krishnan Namboothiri, general secretary K.S. Narayanan, vice-president G.K. Sureshbabu and Mathru Samiti state president Kusumam Ramachandran also spoke on the occasion.
Meanwhile, V.D. Satheesan, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, criticised the event featuring S. Gurumoorthy—a well-known thinker and orator—at the Kerala Raj Bhavan on May 21. Gurumoorthy had spoken on Operation Sindhoor in the presence of the Governor. Organiser weekly reported on the event. Satheesan alleged that the RSS leader had used the Raj Bhavan to deliver political speeches. However, his allegation has not been taken seriously by nationalists and right-thinking citizens. Notably, no leader of the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has come forward to support the LoP’s charge.
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