‘Allow Only Hindu Traders to have Stalled during Hindu Fairs’- Karnataka Rajya Hindu Jaatra Vyaparasthara Sangha
Mangaluru: Addressing the media during a press meet, the president of Karnataka Rajya Hindu Jaatra Vyaparasthara Sangha, Mahesh Shekar Das, claimed that allowing non-Hindus to have stalls outside temple premises violates the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act. He added “The Act clearly states no property or other activities outside the temple should involve non-Hindus. Hence, only Hindu traders should be allowed to have stalls, If non-Hindus are to be allowed then changes should be brought to bring non-Hindu religious institutions under the purview of the Act,”
“There are about 1.27 lakh Hindu vendors, who set up shops during temple fairs in the state. The association will allow only Hindu traders to carry out business during festivals in the Hindu temples under the endowment department. Our association presently has around 800 traders and our request to the government and Deputy Commissioners of all districts that rule under the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act should be followed, to allow Hindus to conduct business during temple festivals. Public auctions should be conducted for stalls during Hindu temple festivals”: added Das.
He added, ” The Karnataka Rajya Hindu Jaatra Vyaparasthara Sangha will be launched soon in the state to press the government to allow only vendors from the Hindu community to set up shops during festivals and fairs (Patras) in the vicinity of temples coming under the Endowment Department.” Though our association was scheduled to be launched on 19 August 2023, since MLAs, MPs and BJP ministers have other commitments on that day, the launching has been postponed”
