Row over boycott of Muslim traders blows up

NT Correspondent

With the controversy over some temples in Mangaluru banning Muslim traders from temple programmes like jathras blowing up, the BJP government in the state tried to put the blame for this on the Congress party. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.C. Madhuswamy claimed that as per an order issued way back in 2002-03 (when SM Krishna was CM of a Congress government), the state government cannot interfere in decisions of some temples in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Shivamogga districts on not leasing out land or building for business purposes to non-Hindus which is the prerogative of temple boards/managements.

However, the government will definitely take action against any organisation or individual trying to prevent non-Hindu traders from doing business during shandies or jathras on land that does not belong to temples, the minister said.

Echoing this view, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said temple managements/boards may lease out a portion of their land to persons against a fixed sum so that the permitted person could sub-lease the same for some period to traders. In the case of the two temples in Dakshina Kannada district and Udupi and one temple in Shivamogga district, those who have taken land on lease have sub-leased it and none can meddle with the decision. However, the government will see if something can be done to help Muslim traders following the denial of permission to them to conduct business during the jathras, he said.

Raising the issue during zero hour, U.T. Khader and Rizwan Arshad of the Congress, expressed their grave concern over the economic boycott being imposed on small Muslim traders during the coming jathras. Some unknown persons have even put up banners in this regard near temples. Karnataka is known for religious tolerance, amity and brotherhood and these banners have been put up to incite communal passions among Hindus and Muslims. Moral policing is still prevalent in DK and Udupi districts. It would take hardly a few hours for the cops to find out who put up the banners near temples. The government must intervene and allow Muslim traders to do business during the jathras, the MLAs demanded.