Author: M Bharat Kumar
Publication: News Today
Date: June 30, 2006
URL: http://www.newstodaynet.com/30jun/ss1.htm
With the controversy triggered by Kannada
actress Jayamala's claim that she had touched the idol of Lord Ayyappa at
Sabarimala temple heating up, several devotees have expressed shock and disappointment
over this and other developments all across the country. In fact, they see
a 'pattern' to all the happenings. They also feel there is a concerted campaign
against the Hindus and their faith by some vested interests.
Sabarimala, the unholy efforts of missionaries
in Tirupati-Tirumala and the questions over shivalinga formation at Amarnath
cave shrine are all pointers to a larger conspiracy, say Hindus.
'Look at what is happening around us. Systematically
anything that is Hindu is being undermined. Sometimes openly. Sometimes sinisterly.
Sometimes as secularism. Sometimes while pandering to the minorities,' says
R Ravishnakar, a CEO of a software company. 'Quicker Hindus understand the
gravity of the situation the better it is for them,' he adds.
BJP's National vice president, L Ganesan,
echoes his views. 'A systematic effort is on to target Hindu points of honour.
The arrest of Kanchi Sankaracharyas was a classic example of this'.
On the Sabarimala controversy, the senior
BJP leader, who had been to Sabarimala several times before, says, 'I am sure
that she (Jayamala) could have not gained entry into the sanctum sanctorum.
Since she is married to a Christian now, I have doubts about her side of the
story'.
Ganesan, who is also disturbed at the happenings
in Amarnath and Tirupathy, said 'the Amarnath cave shrine is attracting a
lot of devotees every year. Now some sinister forces have sowed the seeds
of misgivings by questioning the authenticity of the shivalinga.'
'The Christian influence has increased manifold
in Tirupathy, the abode of Lord Venkateshwara, ever since the Congress (with
a Christian Chief Minister at the helm) came to power there. They want to
shake the faith of Hindus'.
It is no coincidence that such attacks the
Hindu faith has come about after the Vatican and the Pope claimed Asia to
be their next target. In fact, the Pope, who is actually a head of State,
needlessly poked his nose in India's internal affairs by saying that there
was no need for a law against religious conversions.
Even if you feel that some of the Hindus are
paranoid to see insidious intent in recent happenings, the fact of the matter
is the ground reality is skewed against the so-called majority of the land.
For instance, David Ronald Watts, a Canadian
citizen, and his wife Dorothy Eaton Watts of US, who had come to India on
a business visa, have been carrying out mass conversions violating visa stipulations.
And despite the court ordering them out of the land, the duo are still staying
here impunity. 'In most cases, votebank politics and a fear of backlash from
the minorities, who know that they will be valuable to the politicians only
as long as they vote en masse, make the politicos mete a raw deal to Hindus,'
says H Krishnakumar, a leading retail banker. He says the 'time has come for
us to be more vigilant and stand up to safeguard our places of worship'.
According to Shankar, a retired government
official, who had been to Sabarimala for the last three decades, 'no doubt
Sabarimala has become more commercialised these days. But a woman claiming
her entry into the sanctum santorum of the temple is unbelievable. With the
presiding deity located 12 feet away from the place of darshan , it is certainly
not possible for anyone to enter the sanctum sanctorum'.
Jaya Srinivasan, who does discourses on Ramayana,
says, ' it is the question of belief of a majority and it is for the temple
priests to take corrective steps. The media should underplay the whole issue
rather than sensationlising it.'
For Mohan, a resident of Madipakkam, who had
been to Amarnath cave shrine on a pilgrimage last year, says, for so long,
there was no problem at Amarnath but for terrorist attacks. Now creating a
confusion on the shivalinga formation is surprising. It has yet again proved
that we are vulnerable, he adds.
