Don’t exploit Dharmasthala controversy

Nestled in the lush greenery of the Western Ghats, the temple town of Dharmasthala has been dragged into the national limelight by the mass burial controversy, after a whistle blower made allegations of mass burial and sexual assault of women.

Elaborate excavations were conducted by a posse of officials and the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Karnataka government to probe and uncover the mystery behind the allegations but nothing substantial has emerged so far.

A few skeletal remains found at two of the many sites excavated as per the whistle blower’s ‘revelations’ have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory(FSL) for detailed examination with Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara stating in the Legislature that no further digging will happen till the reports are received.

Meanwhile, the whistleblower has been arrested and the police is investigating his links to others who could be involved in an alleged conspiracy to ‘de fame’ the temple. The Dharmasthala Manjunatha shrine is a popular religious site for both Hindus and Jains with the temple trustees belonging to the Jain community.

Considering the sensitive nature of the probe and the findings likely to emerge, it would have been best to leave the entire process to the SIT and the officials involved.

However, what is disturbing is the no-holds barred attempt by some vested quarters including leaders of the BJP to draw political advantage from the row and further their interests. So, the saffronists have in keeping with their agenda to exploit religious issues for political gain, launched the Dharmasthala Chalo Yatra with the blessings of leaders like Bengaluru South MP Tejaswi Surya.

They have claimed that an ‘organised conspiracy’ is underway against the shrine and are now demanding a CBI probe to unearth the truth. This is no doubt an easy issue to build public mo mentum, considering the sensitivity of devotees who throng the centuries-old temple in the thousands every day.

Ousted from power three years ago and left with no potential issue to target the Congress-led government in the state, the Dharmasthala row has now come in handy for the BJP and its allies to build a new front against the Siddaramaiah government, which has gained clear political leverage with its five guarantee schemes.

But are the people of Karnataka so naive to switch sides and back the saffronists just because what many expected to come out from the probe did not happen? Many religious institutions have been haunted by such controversies in the past.

In Kerala there was a huge outcry after the tantri of the Sabarimala temple conducted a purification ritual following the entry of two menstruating women into the temple a few years ago, which is not permitted.

The famed Tirupati temple was rocked by the controversy over the alleged usage of animal fat for making the world famous laddoos. Church functionaries across the country have often faced allegations of misconduct with the authorities coming down hard on them.

Religious issues should be left to be resolved by the religious authorities concerned and the government. So it would be best to let the probe continue unhindered so that we finally have the findings and can draw the right conclusions.

Those who are bent on extracting political mileage from such controversies, are sure to fail, particularly when it concerns a famous pilgrimage destination like Dharmasthala.