Thousands join ‘Peetha Viplavam’ in Alappuzha; Gokulam Gopalan seeks independent probe
ALAPPUZHA: Thousands of people participated in the ‘Peetha Viplavam’ protest led by Gokulam Gopalan in Alappuzha, demanding greater transparency and accountability in the functioning of institutions associated with the Sree Narayana movement.
Addressing the gathering, Gopalan, chairman of the Peetha Viplavam Organising Committee, said the agitation was not a fight for positions or power but a struggle to safeguard the rights of the community.
“This is not a fight for a chair. It is a struggle to reclaim the rights of the community,” he said.
Gopalan demanded an independent and impartial inquiry into allegations relating to the administration of institutions, financial transactions and appointments associated with the Sree Narayana movement.
He said the relevant accounts, records and documents should be examined and made transparent wherever legally permissible.
“If there are allegations, there should be an inquiry. If there are documents, they should be examined. If there are accounts, they should be made transparent. If there is nothing to hide, there is no reason to fear an investigation,” he said.
The microfinance issue also figured prominently in the speeches. Referring to the cases and legal proceedings connected with microfinance activities, the speakers said the allegations should be settled through a proper investigation based on documentary evidence.
“If the allegations are baseless, let the documents establish that. If there are irregularities, let the law take its course,” Gopalan said.
In a pointed reference to the nature of the agitation, he said: “We have no stones in our hands; we have documents. Our weapon is not violence but truth. Our objective is not a chair, but transparency, justice and the rights of the community.”
Gopalan also said institutions functioning in the name of Sree Narayana Guru should not be treated as the property of any individual or family. Such institutions, he said, should remain accountable to their members and the community.
The organisers demanded greater democratic participation in the administration of community institutions and transparency in organisational elections and decision-making processes.
They also said the movement would seek the support of democratic forces irrespective of political affiliations, while insisting that the agitation would not be reduced to a personal or partisan campaign.
“We will no longer remain silent. We will demand accounts, documents, transparency and an inquiry. We will work to restore democratic values in the Sree Narayana movement,” Gopalan said.
He concluded with a call for continued mobilisation, saying, “Chairs may change, those in power may change and times may change. But the voice of people demanding their rights cannot be silenced.”
