The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and a pro-Hindu traders' body opposed to the decision of a Karnataka temple to allow Muslim vendors at the ongoing Dasara festival have strung saffron flags on Hindu-owned stalls to single out the others in a virtual boycott call.
The VHP and the recently formed Sanatana Hindu Vyparasthara Sangha (Sanatana Hindu traders' association), which claims to have the support of about 250 vendors from the majority community in Mangalore, have called on Hindus to patronise only stalls owned by the community.
This follows the government-run Mangaladevi temple administration auctioning a fresh set of temporary stalls, of which 11 were awarded to Muslim vendors.
The auction held on Saturday followed protests by the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Districts Religious Fair Businessmen’s Coordination Committee over the temple administration's decision not to allow Muslims to pitch for any stall in an earlier auction.
As is the practice, temples in Karnataka auction temporary stalls that sell religious items, refreshments and trinkets during fairs and festivals. Muslims have been given a raw deal since last year when Sangh Parivar outfits enforced a near-total ban on vendors from the minority community after the hijab issue flared up and Muslim groups forced a shutdown in Mangalore.
VHP provincial secretary Sharan Pumpwell claimed they were only following rules. “We are not against Muslim vendors, who are free to do their business elsewhere. Our objection is based on the rules that disallow non-Muslims from setting up shops anywhere near Hindu temples,” he said, citing the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Rules framed in 2002.
Told that the rules bar non-Hindus from setting up shops only on the temple premises and that the Mangaladevi temple administration had allotted stalls to the Muslim vendors along a public road, Sharan said the road used to be part of the shrine.
“The deity is taken around in a religious procession on the same road,” Sharan said.
While the temple has earmarked 115 stalls, only 70 have been auctioned until Wednesday. More are likely to be auctioned on Thursday.
B.K. Imthiyaz, convener of the Businessmen’s Coordination Committee, pointed out that vendors from all communities had done business until last year. “All this began happening only from last year after the hijab issue,” he said, referring to the controversy over the ban on the headscarf in educational institutions.
“If their argument is against permitting non-Hinduvendors, what do they have to say about the presence of a church, non-vegetarian restaurants and non-Hindus living in apartments on the same road? This is only being done to target Muslim vendors,” Imthiyaz said.
But Sharan argued that it’s not their concern if Muslims live in the area or do other business. “
This is not about faith, but about rules and regulations. The endowment rules that govern temples clearly mandate only Hindus should be allowed to set up shops at temples,” he said.
Delegates from the Dakshina Kannada Jathyatheetha Pakshagalu, Sanghatanegala Janti Vedike (joint forum of Dakshina Kannada secular parties and organisations) on Tuesday met health and family welfare minister Dinesh GunduRao, who is in charge of the Dakshina Kannada district of Mangalore, to address their woes.
“We met the minister and apprised him of the difficulties Muslim traders are facing in the district and how they are being boycotted at temple fairs. He gave a patient hearing and promised to take suitable corrective steps,” Imthiyaz said.
The memorandum signed by Muneer Katipalla, the organisation’s general secretary and state CPM youth wing DYFI, urged the Karnataka government to ensure Muslims are not discriminated against at temple fairs since it’s a matter of their livelihood.
The letter urged the government to take “strict measures to rein in hate politics and to uphold unity and harmony”.
