The Communist regime in Kerala forced its way into the Mattannur Mahadeva Temple in Kannur and seized it brutally. The Malabar Devaswom Board (MDB) officials with help from local police beat up and arrested devotees before they smashed the temple locks. This happened even though the matter is pending before the Supreme Court.
The government-controlled Devaswom Board said that they have Kerala High Court orders to take over the temple. The original temple authorities said that they were not even informed about the sudden action and alleged that there was no consultation with any of them. The Mattannur Mahadeva Temple dispute is ongoing for the past 10 years.
The CPM regime has been trying hard to seize all the famous temples in Kerala, especially the ones that generate ‘good revenue’ (read as donation from Hindu devotees). Meanwhile, they do nothing to help small and poor temples.
The Malabar Devaswom controls over 1600 temples spread across 6 districts in North Kerala. Most of these Devasom employees are communist cronies with Hindu names but atheists. The staff at these temples are paid next to nothing and arrears run into months if not years.
That same MDB is now capturing more temples in Malabar and then requests ‘local help’ for the daily functioning of these temples. This is where the common cadre of communists sneak into temples. They then tamper with the rituals and traditions in an attempt to further alienate Hindus from their own family/ Kula temples and deities.
MDB President Murali tried to take the high moral ground by saying that though the Mattannur Mahadeva Temple is an A grade temple, the current employees are being paid very low wages. He showed his true colours and added that all the current issues are the result of ‘nonsense’ perpetrated by a few in the name of faith. Local devotees said that the popularity of the temple rose due to good maintenance and that is why the government that ignored it earlier, took it over now.
Such allegations of labour exploitation are nothing but fine-tuned propaganda that the communists administer from time to time. Biased media then carry such anti-Hindu messages far and wide. Murali conveniently forgot that, unlike Temples, churches and mosques all over Bharat are not controlled by the government. In fact, he brushed it aside saying mosques and churches are private, not public properties.
It should be remembered that earlier this year, all temple boards under the Kerala government were ordered to reduce the expenses incurred on festivals, holy offerings, and Dakshina to the chief priest. They revised the salary of temple staff and now those same temple board employees have accused the board of less pay. Those complaints are pending before the court, but cases regarding temples invariably go in favour of such anti-Hindu regimes.
Salaries of the Mattannur Mahadeva Temple employees now face the same fate as other temples under the CPM-controlled boards. Two devotees tried to immolate themselves but were promptly taken away by the police. Discontent is brewing amongst the local Hindus.
