The members of the group said that the communist government of Kerala provides no basic facilities to Hindu devotees.
‘Anti-Hindu’ Kerala government has no concern for Hindu pilgrim centres, said the right-wing fringe group, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS). It said that pilgrims heading to Sabarimala lack access to essential infrastructure.
Mohan Gowda, the spokesperson of HJS said, “there is a shortage of drinking water, food, and transportation facilities, leaving many, including the elderly and children, without basic amenities.”
The problem is that Kerala state has a communist government, and they don’t want to help out Hindus, said members of the group addressing the press conference at the Press Club of India. They further stated that people who are going on a pilgrimage do not have any food and accommodation facility.
Additionally, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is constantly appealing to the Kerala government to allow them to help the Hindu devotees by providing free facilities. Despite multiple attempts, they haven’t received permission from the government to assist Hindu devotees with free food, water, and accommodation facilities.
N Jairam Swamy, president of Ayyappa Seva Samajan, said, “Many temples across India have large infrastructure, however, many of the prominent ones lack the most basic infrastructural facilities. The government earns a revenue of more than Rs. 500 crore through such pilgrimages, and yet, the temples do not even have the most basic facilities.
The president added, “Five crore devotees only from the southern states from all communities go for the Sabarimala pilgrimage. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) does not want Hindus to visit Sabarimala.”
Additionally, the members also spoke about making India Halal free. Mohan Gowda said, “In our country, every other product is getting halal certified these days. Earlier, it was only limited to meat, but now halal is being converted to an economy- from cosmetics to medicines, refrigerator, home appliances etc, everything has a halal symbol.”
Mr. Gowda said, “The UP government has already put a ban on halal-certified products. We made an appeal to the BJP government last year and are yet to meet with the Congress government soon to discuss this matter.”
Experts say that it’s important for all parties to come up with solutions that respect diverse beliefs. Shruti Singh, sociology professor in Noida, said, “The situation reflects a complex intersection of religious sentiments, governance, and economic concerns, and this can be effectively addressed when all parties engage in a constructive discussion and seek solutions instead of blaming one another.
HJS and Karnataka Devasthana and Matha Mattu Dharmika Sansthegala Mahasangha are together hosting a Karnataka Temple Conference on December 16th-17th, 2023, in Bangalore. The focus would be on freeing temples from government control, preserving traditions through ritualistic poojas, and addressing temple issues. Over 1000 participants, including trustees, priests, and advocates, are expected at the Gangamma Thimmaiah Convention Center.
