Udupi/Bengaluru/Mangaluru (Karnataka): The issue of the economic boycott of Muslim traders during Hindu festivals in Hindu religious places has come to the fore in many parts of the Dakshin Kannada and other districts of Karnataka. Muslim merchants have been denied access to trade at the Sri Mangaladevi Temple in Mangaluru, Bappanadu Durgaparameshwari Temple, Katipalla Ganeshpura Sri Mahaganapathi Temple, and Puttur Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple. Banners have been installed in front of the temples about the ban on non-Hindu traders in the fair.
Talking to the media, Mangalore police commissioner N. Shashikumar said, "I have spoken with Temple Administration Boards and Tahsildar. We will investigate the banners, and if the Temple Administrations lodges a complaint, we will take legal action."
Meanwhile, the Maari Gudi temple management at Kaup town in Udupi district of coastal Karnataka has decided not to allow 'people from other faith' to do business on its land during the annual temple festival on the request of certain pro-Hindu organizations.
The move, not to allow 'people from other faith' to do business, was taken after outfits such as Hindu Jagarana Vedike and Tulunadu Hindu Sena, Kaup, appealed to the temple management not to permit the Muslim traders during the two-day religious fair yesterday and today, saying the Muslims had supported a bandh against the Karnataka High Court verdict on the hijab issue. This showed their disregard for the law of the land and the judicial system in India, they alleged.
"The pro-Hindu organizations submitted a memorandum asking us to allow only Hindu traders during the Marigudi festival and not the people from other faith. Accordingly, the temple management has decided not to give land on rent belonging to the temple management to anyone who is not a Hindu. Only Hindus will be given space to do business," an executive officer of the temple told reporters in Kaup.
Speaking to reporters in Udupi, the association's district secretary Mohammed Arif admitted that banners were placed during the annual Kaup Marigudi festival stating that Muslim vendors should not be allowed entry. Similar banners were also displayed at the Padubidri temple festival, he added. However, the Udupi District Street Vendors and Traders Association has urged the district administration to allow Muslim street vendors to carry out business during Hindu festivals and annual temple fairs.
Also read: Devotees rain flowers in Karnataka's Sharanabasaveshwar Fair
In a memorandum to the temple management, Kaup-based Tulunadu Hindu Sena appealed that no Muslim should be allowed to do trade during the 'Suggi Maari Puja' festival.
"No Muslim should be given a place to put up stalls during the Maari Puja festival. If the Muslims are allowed to put up their stalls, you (temple authorities) alone will be responsible for the problem and the danger. Hence, you should not give place to Muslims to put up stalls," the Hindu Sena said.
On his part, Prakash K of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike said the Maari Puja in Kaup town is a very big festival in the Udupi district in which a large number of Muslim traders do business.
"Those who have no respect for our Gods, our religious places and follow a different faith should not do business during our religious festivals. This was the appeal by the Hindu community to the Marigudi temple management," he said.
Explaining the reason behind the appeal, he said recently the Muslim traders had observed bandh across the state against the hijab verdict by the Karnataka High Court.
The full bench led by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi in its March 15 order dismissed petitions by some girls from Udupi who had demanded that hijab should be permitted inside the educational institutions where there is a uniform dress code. The court said hijab is not an essential religious practice and uniform dress rule should be followed. Two days after the verdict, Muslims on a call given by the Ameer-e-Shariat Maulana Sagir Ahmed Khan Rashdi observed the bandh. They did not open their shops and business establishments.
"They (Muslims) don't have any respect for the law of the land and the High Court verdict. Hindu society should not give chance to such traitors to do business," Prakash said. According to him, the temple management has responded positively to the request of the Hindu community and they have decided not to allow people from a different faith to do business within the temple premises this time.
The Hindu organization leader said this trend will not be restricted to Kaup alone but everywhere. He added that Muslims will not be allowed to do business in Ujire religious festival.
"They should not be allowed to do business during our festivals. Because when we had opposed the cow slaughter in Gangolli, Muslims boycotted purchasing fish from Hindu fisherwomen. Despite being less in number, when they are showing their might, why shouldn't we the majority Hindus show ours," he said.
Meanwhile, Congress Muslim representatives have strongly condemned this boycott of Muslim traders during the fairs. Talking to the media in Vidhana Soudha, former minister and MLAs-UT Khader, Rizwan Arshad, and Council Member Salim Ahmad strongly condemned the ban on the trading of Muslims at the fairs. The Congress MLAs also decided to bring the issue to the assembly. The Speaker's Office has been given the notice to raise the matter during Zero Hour, MLA Rizwan Arshad told media.
When the matter came up in the Assembly, the ruling BJP sought to distance itself from it, citing rules. Clarifying that the rule does not apply to street vendors outside the temple premises and action will be taken if any obstructions have been caused to them, the government said it will look into the rules and actual situation on the ground, before taking any further step.
Responding to a question raised by opposition members in the following such incidents in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said, "While framing rules to Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments act in 2002, Rule 12 states that no property including land, building or site situated near the institution shall be leased to non-Hindus. Citing these rules, posters and banners have been put up."
Observing that it is being alleged street vendors are stopped from engaging in trade, he said, "if any obstruction is being caused to them, outside the premise of a religious place, it will be rectified and action will be taken. If things are happening (other community vendors trading) within the premises, they will have to follow the rules. Our government did not formulate these rules. The rules were formulated by the Congress government in 2002 and now you are trying to put blame us," he said, adding that rules should be followed.
Intervening, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said areas near religious places during temple fairs are leased out and those who take on lease will give sublease to traders. "These decisions are by those who have taken lease...we will look into what the rules say and what has happened there on the ground," he said.
Meanwhile, the Udupi district secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Balakrishna Shetty wrote to the deputy commissioner of Udupi to intervene and ensure that such developments not be allowed as it may take a different dimension across the state and lead to polarisation on communal lines.
Talking to PTI, the All India Co-convener of Bajrang Dal, Suryanarayana Rao clarified the organization is not against Muslims but only those who oppose the rule of the land and the High Court verdict on hijab. He added that the 'Hindu awareness drive' will continue in other parts of the state against the "anti-national elements, who oppose the constitution, judiciary, and the political system".
Also read: Hijab Row: Muslim traders close shops in Mangaluru over protest call against HC verdict
Meanwhile, Arif said all Hindu and Muslim vendors were doing business like brothers so far, adding that Muslim street vendors used to do business in festivals of all temples. "We request the temple administration committees to allow us to do business like before," he said.
(Inputs from agencies)
