MANGALURU
Merchants engaged in conducting business on festival grounds in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are divided, with two separate associations coming into existence.
Karnataka Rajya Hindu Jaatra Vyaparasthara Sangha Honorary President Mahesh Das said that the association will be launched officially soon. He told media persons that the sangha wants only Hindu merchants to carry out business during festivals in the temples under the endowment department.
There are about 1.3 lakh Hindu merchants who conduct business in temple fairs in the state. The association at present has nearly 750 members in the state. Our request to the government and Deputy Commissioners of all districts that rules under Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act should be followed, to allow Hindus to conduct business during temple festivals. Public auctions should not be conducted for stalls during temple festivals, he said. Though the launching of the association was scheduled to be held on August 19, the programme has been postponed, since MLAs, MPs and Ministers of the BJP will not be able to participate, he added.Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Districts Festival Merchants Coordination Committee demanded that poor traders should be allowed to conduct business during festivals of all religious shrines, without considering their caste and religion.
Committee Honorary Presidents Sunil Kumar Bajal and BK Imthiyaz said that the District Administrations of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi should ensure protection for festival fair merchants.
The coastal region is witness to an ugly politics of proclaiming a ban on traders from other faiths conducting business during festivals in religious shrines. This development has affected hundreds of families and they are facing insecurity in life, said Imthiyaz.
Bajal said that mass protests will be organised if merchants are banned during festival fairs on the basis of religion.
