Hindu organisations staged a protest against Railway officials as the latter had decided to demolish a temple in the Railway cantonment area in Bengaluru. Even though the temple has been legally functioning for more than 50 years, Railway officials have suddenly decided to raze it down. However local Hindus along with Hindu Janajagruti Samiti stood up against the demolition drive and saved the temple. While Muslims freely encroach on public places for namaz, Hindus have to protest to protect even what’s rightfully theirs.
The Chamundeshwari temple in the Railway Cantonment area of Bengaluru is said to be functioning for nearly 50 years. It is located in Vasanth Nagar at a distance of 200 meters from the railway station. On November 29, railway officials came to demolish the temple out of the blue. However Hindus who came to know about it gathered at the temple and protested against it after which the decision was reportedly dropped.
The said temple is said to be located on a land parcel that was once endowed to Nilkanth Deshi Kendra Mutt by the kings of Keladi. Hindu organisations assure that there are documents to prove the transfer. Reportedly railway officials are the trustees of the temple board and only after the railway department granted permission the temple was built. The temple even has an official electricity connection.
For the last 50 years daily pujas and special occasions like Navratri festival and Amavasya Annadana have been happening without any hindrances. Mohan Gowda, the spokesperson of HJS says that the temple is located away from the railway station and in no way hinder the railway lines, roads or buildings. He further said that the land on which the temple is built is actually marked as ‘Land of Devasthan’ in the blueprint.
Highlighting these facts Gowda said that the temple shouldn’t be demolished and that they’ll fight the legal battle to protect it. Not long before, accusations were put forth by Mysuru BJP MP Pratap Simha that the government officials were demolishing only Hindu temples in the name of following court orders. He slammed them for fearing to touch illegal mosques that were mushrooming in the same vicinity.
He took the matter to CM Basavaraj Bommai’s table when a 600 year old Mahadevamma temple in Nanjangud, which wasn’t even encroaching the road was demolished by Mysuru district administration. Following that the CM directed the district administrations to out a hold on the demolition drive and announced that his government will bring a legislation to protect “places of worship” that encroach public spaces from the SC order. It was met with much criticism as only temples were demolished mostly but the legislation would provide cover for churches and mosques as well.
Now the railway department has done it by not daring to touch the many mosques encroaching platforms and built in the midst of rail lines. For example there is a mosque encroaching the railway properties, located in the middle of rail lines in the Bengaluru Railway Junction. But the officials didn’t dare touch it.
Twitter users shared many such examples to show how Muslims and Christians are treated with kid gloves by the railway department while they are very keen to demolish a temple that is in no way a hindrance. Whether Hindus oppose encroachment of public spaces or build a temple in a legally acquired land, it seems Hindus are on fault in the secular state’s view.