The governing committee of the 12th-century Chennakeshava temple of Belur in the Hassan district of Karnataka issued an eviction notice to a Muslim vendor running a shop on the shrine premises. According to a report by the Times of India, the vendor is running this shop for the last few decades.

The temple executive Vidyalatha said, “The notice is issued under the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 2002, which disallows leasing or renting premises in a temple complex to non-Hindus. I have sent our vendor’s reply to our Commissioner.”

There are 17 shops in the Chennakeshava temple complex. Among these shops, there is a hotel, a milk booth, godowns, and a few other shops. The temple comes under the Karnataka Muzrai Department and it is set to be recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The annual chariot procession of this temple was scheduled for the upcoming 13th and 14th of April 2022.

As activists of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal in Belur urged the temple administration to evict non-Hindu shopkeepers from the temple premises, the administration issued a notice and ensured that the shop was closed. The Karnataka Government defended this demand by citing rule 31 (12) of the Religious Endowment Act, 2002. The rule states that shops, buildings, and vacant sites located near temples should not be auctioned to non-Hindus.

This move comes amid several temples in Karnataka deciding to not allow non-Hindus on their premises. Two weeks ago the Marikamba temple of Shivamogga banned Muslim vendors at the annual fair. A similar decision was taken by the Hosa Marigudi temple in Kaup, as the temple committee had decided to allow only stalls by Hindus during the annual event ‘Suggi Mari Pooja’. This was done after several Muslim traders had shut down their shops to protest against the Karnataka High Court’s decision on the hijab issue.

Reacting to the development, the Karnataka govt had clarified that the temple committees were right as according to the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act 2002, non-Hindus cannot do business in and around the premises of the Hindu religious institutions. When Congress had demanded action against Hindu temples for not allowing non-Hindus to do business on their temple premises, the Karnataka govt had said that govt can’t interfere in the decisions of temple committees as it was as per law. Law minister J C Madhuswamy had also informed that the law was enacted by a Congress government.

But Taluk administration of the Hasan district paved way for 15 non-Hindus to set up their stalls during the two-day annual temple car festival in the historic Chennakeshava temple in Belur starting on Wednesday. It was also brought to attention that the temple will have verses from the Quran chanted before the chariot leaves, as per the traditions of the temple.

Two weeks after a Muslim dealer was requested to vacate his store from Chennakeshava temple complicated in Belur of Hassan district, the taluk administration has given its nod for 15 non-Hindus to arrange stalls through the two-day annual temple automobile competition beginning on Wednesday.

Sujay Kumar, chief govt officer of Belur taluk municipal council, mentioned there isn’t any rule or legislation to cease non-Hindu distributors from finishing up enterprises throughout temple festivals.

Statues on the capital support the temple eaves. 38 of the original 40 have survived in Belur

The officer said they held bidding through the e-procurement route nearly a month ago. “Anyone can set up a stall by paying the prescribed fee,” he added.

The taluk administration has recognized an enormous parcel of land about 100 meters from the temple the place makeshift stalls have been arranged for the temple competition. Distributors will probably be allowed to function their stalls on this land until April 18. Some 60 stalls have come upon this parcel, and 15 of them are by non-Hindu distributors.

The officer mentioned they held bidding by means of the e-procurement route practically a month in the past. “Anybody can arrange a stall by paying the prescribed payment,” he added.

Belur temple executive officer Vidyulatha told TOI: “The muzrai commissioner’s office has directed that no officer, person or organisation is allowed to interfere in any tradition, ritual or custom under Section 58 of Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 2002. Hence, the chanting of Quran verses will be conducted as mentioned in the Belur temple manual before pulling the chariot on the day of Brahma Rathotsava.”

The Twelfth-century Chennakeshava temple, which is run by the Karnataka muzrai division and is about to be recognised as a world heritage site by UNESCO, courted controversy when it issued eviction discover on March 28 to a lone non-Hindu vendor.

Sources mentioned the Muslim vendor didn’t take part in the bidding course of establishing a stall in a makeshift space.

Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy mentioned he has requested former minister HD Revanna to amicably resolve the problem and affirmed that he would not enable any attempts to disturb communal concord in his residence district.

Chennakeshava Temple, Belur allows non-Hindus to set up stalls in the temple fair

In The Name of National Integration

Islamic imperialism has only to dispute the fact that India is a Hindu homeland, and that the age-old Hindu society constitutes the core of the Indian nation with which non-Hindu communities should get integrated.

It is significant that harangues for 'national integration' become hectic, almost hysterical, in the wake of every street riot staged by Muslims. Our ruling class immediately starts hurling long-winded sermons on Hindus - stop being communal killers of a helpless minority; get rid of this big-brother behaviour; protect the lives and properties of your younger brethren; respect the religious and cultural rights of Muslims; and so on.

This ruling class never waits for the findings of inquiry commissions it has itself appointed to look into the causes of earlier communal riots. It does not remember or manage to forget the findings of many inquiry commissions which held that almost all riots were started by Muslims.

It is significant that harangues for 'national integration' become hectic, almost hysterical, in the wake of every street riot staged by Muslims. Our ruling class immediately starts hurling long-winded sermons on Hindus - stop being communal killers of a helpless minority; get rid of this big-brother behaviour; protect the lives and properties of your younger brethren; respect the religious and cultural rights of Muslims; and so on.

This ruling class never waits for the findings of inquiry commissions it has itself appointed to look into the causes of earlier communal riots. It does not remember or manage to forget the findings of many inquiry commissions which held that almost all riots were started by Muslims.

Hindus are expected to listen to these lectures from the ruling class with bowed heads, and with an orgy of moral self-reproach. Woe betides the irreverent Hindu who questions the legitimacy of these lectures, or who cites the evidence of inquiry commissions. He is not only a 'Hindu communalist' and a 'Hindu chauvinist' but also a 'reactionary' and a 'revivalist', putting the future of 'secular and democratic India' in jeopardy. The ruling class is joined in this chorus by some pious people like the Gandhians according to whom such an unrepentant Hindu is not a Hindu at all. There is a lot of tongue-clicking all around.

In plain and simple language, therefore, national integration has come to mean only one thing, namely, that a meek Hindu society should get integrated with a militant Muslim millet. One waits in vain for a voice that so much as whispers a why in the face of boisterous Muslim bigotry. Muslims have a god-given right to go on raising accusing fingers at the Hindus for refusing to give them this or that. And the Hindus have a god-given duty to go on conceding every exclusive and imperialist claim of an incurable fanaticism.