Karnataka: Muslim traders barred from Bappanadu temple fair for second year in a row

For the second year in a row, Muslim traders will be barred from putting up stalls at the Bappanadu temple fair in Mulky in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. The decision to exclude Muslim traders was taken by the temple committee after a memorandum by local residents called for the exclusion of Muslims. This means that Muslim traders will not take part in the annual fair in the temple, considered to be a symbol of syncretism and said to be built by a Muslim merchant in the 12th century. 

"We will not be allowing Muslim traders again this year. We received a memorandum seeking to ban Muslim traders and we have communicated the same," says Duganna Sawant, the head of the Bappanadu temple committee and the descendant of the Jain rulers who provided the land for the temple.

The Bappanadu temple, officially called the Durga Parameshwari temple, attracts not just Hindus but Muslim and Christian devotees for its temple fair. The lore associated with the temple's founding says that the Muslim merchant Bappa Beary’s boat ran aground in the Shambhavi river and experienced a vision in which goddess Durga instructed him to build a shrine for her. 

A group of Muslim traders visited the temple on Thursday seeking to sell their wares in the fair being held from April 5 to 12. "Before the ban last year, I used to put up a stall selling jewellery and other fancy items every year for the past 35 years. I am hopeful that the temple committee will reconsider its decision and allow everyone to do business again," says a 53-year-old trader from Mangaluru. 

Bappanadu Temple Fair

Despite appeals from the traders, the temple committee refused to withdraw its decision. The committee said that they are bound to disallow Muslim traders due to a 2002 law that states  non-Hindus should not be allowed to lease property within and near temples. "We have allowed everyone to take part in our fair and we know that this temple is a symbol of communal harmony but we are answerable to the Muzrai department," says Dugganna Sawant. 

A flawed reasoning

However, Rule 31(12) of the law, specifies that it is related to immovable property located near a temple and does not apply to licences that shopkeepers get to run temporary stalls at fairs.

The decision to disallow Muslim traders was criticised by activists who said that inaction from the state government is a “clear violation of Article 15(1) and Article 15(2)”. "The state government should take cognisance and ensure that economic boycotts of communities do not happen," says Vinay Sreenivasa, a civil rights advocate based in Bengaluru. 

Article 15 (1) says: “The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them”. Article 15 (2) elaborates on that point to forbid any “disability, liability, restriction or condition” with regard to access to “shops, restaurants, hotels” and more.

The Supreme Court too has previously held the act of excluding Muslim traders from temple fairs is unconstitutional.

Economic boycott against Muslims 

The exclusion of Muslim traders is part of an aggressive campaign by Hindutva groups in coastal Karnataka for economic boycott of the Muslim community. Last year, the campaign led to Muslims being excluded from 60 temple fairs in coastal Karnataka, according to Mohammed Arif, the secretary of the Udupi district street vendors’ association. At the time, banners were put up in Mulky warning against Muslim traders setting up stalls. Muslim traders who turned up at the fair were evicted by members of Hindutva groups.

Bappanadu Temple Sign

The exclusion of Muslim traders is now a common pattern in temple fairs in coastal Karnataka. However, there have been occasions when fairs have allowed Muslim traders to put up stalls including in the recent Kapu Maari Pooje festival. The Mangaluru police removed posters and banners put up at the Kadri Sri Manjunatha temple that called for Muslims to be excluded from the annual fair.

The developments in Mulky come in the run-up to the Karnataka elections. Mulky falls under the Mangaluru (North) constituency where the incumbent MLA Bharat Shetty from the BJP is expected to be picked as the candidate again. The Congress is yet to name its candidate in Mangaluru (North) constituency though it has released two lists confirming candidates in 166 of the 224 constituencies in the state. The party is reportedly considering Mohiuddin Bawa and Inayath Ali for the seat.