Kerala mosque opens doors for 'Attukal Pongala' devotees
Thiruvananthapuram(PTI): In a show of communal harmony and brotherhood, the Manakkad Juma Masjid here opened its doors and provided facilities to the thousands of women who arrived in the state capital for the 'Attukal Pongala' on Thursday.
A mosque representative said the entire parking area was opened for those arriving in their vehicles and accommodations were arranged inside the mosque for the drivers.
"Besides that, separate toilets for women and drinking water facilities were also made available for the devotees. One of the rooms was also converted for use by the police personnel who would be on duty during the festival," the representative told a TV channel.
He also said that the mosque provides the facilities every year, which was attested to by the women devotees present there. He expressed regret that they could not provide food to the 'pongala' devotees in the morning due to the ongoing fasting during the Ramadan period.
"We provided food yesterday evening when we broke the fast for the day," he added.
The St Joseph's Metropolitan Cathedral here too provided water, rest and toilet facilities to the women devotees who arrived for the 'pongala'. It had done so last year as well.
Besides them, the parishioners of St Theresa of Lisieux Catholic Church at Vellayambalam here provided buttermilk to the 'pongala' devotees, a church official said.
Thousands of women of all ages who came to the state capital from Keral and beyond, some even from abroad, offered 'pongala' to the presiding deity of the Attukal Bhagavathy temple on Thursday, braving the scorching sun.
Preparing 'pongala' is considered an auspicious all-women ritual as part of the annual festival of the Attukal temple here, popularly known as the 'Women's Sabarimala'.
As per local legend, the annual festival commemorates the hospitality accorded by women in the locality to Kannagi, the heroine of the Tamil epic 'Silappadhikaram', after she destroyed Madurai city to avenge the execution of her husband Kovalan who was wrongly branded as a thief.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
