Frontline examines 100-year temple democratisation struggle

Frontline Conversations features lawyer and author Manuraj Shunmugasundaram discussing the 100-year struggle to democratise temples in India. The conversation traces the movement from the 1924 Vaikom Satyagraha to contemporary debates over temple administration, priesthood, and religious freedom, highlighting how temples became centres of social and political power in South India.

Shunmugasundaram explains how leaders such as Periyar, B.R. Ambedkar, and Gandhi challenged caste-based exclusion. He argues that the Self-Respect Movement, which emerged from Vaikom, offered a distinct political language of equality and dignity. The discussion also covers the "Madras model" of secularism, landmark decisions like the appointment of non-Brahmin priests, and the Sabarimala case, illustrating the ongoing tension between constitutional morality and religious freedom.