Editorial, The Times of Indi, March 24, 2022
Sanity goes south: Does a trader’s religion matter? Yes, says Karnataka, and sets itself and others up for a great fall
Karnataka government’s inaction over some temple authorities denying permission to Muslim traders to conduct business during Hindu festivals and annual temple fairs is unconscionable. The government cited a rule under the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act 2002 barring leasing of land/building/sites near temples to non-Hindus. Rules drafted by bureaucrats straying beyond the intent of Acts passed by legislatures aren’t surprising: These rules aren’t subjected to scrutiny Bills receive.
Now imagine other communities like Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, applying this dangerous principle to exclude traders of other faiths from the vicinity of their religious places, festivals and fairs. What will self-styled champions of Hindus say then? What’s happening in Karnataka is not just violative of all democratic secular tenets, it is an invitation for future conflagrations. Let’s remember that among the Constitution’s fundamental guarantees is equitable access to public spaces for all citizens irrespective of religion, caste and gender and the freedom to work or trade subject to reasonable restrictions like public order. Plus, clearly there’s no ‘religious tradition’ for such a bar on Muslim traders, as that would have been in place long before 2002.
Karnataka is hosting too many of these combustible moments. The high court’s hijab judgment may have got the broad points right, but it is also true that only recently did hijab become an issue in Karnataka. Whatever may be the political calculation of those who wink at such aggressive attitudes, the social cost can be tragically big. Appeasing this new mood of zealotry at the cost of constitutional values brings India closer to neighbours like Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have patronised religious orthodoxy and partly as a result have killed their economic vibrancy. Also worth noting in this context is RSS’s worry about “elaborate plans by a particular community to enter the government machinery”. Everyone has equal rights to enter government, and if more minorities are joining the civil service it’s nothing but good news in a diverse country.
Karnataka’s law minister claimed Congress’s SM Krishna government framed the temple rules. Instead of a pointless blame game, the Basavaraj Bommai government should simply scrap the rule. Since when is BJP justifying a wrong by citing Congress?
