Kochi: At a time when Islamist organizations and Christian congregations are grabbing government lands galore and state government bodies conveniently closing their eyes to the encroachment, bigotry continues against Hindu owned lands and monuments. The latest discrimination in the name of development and land grabbing is the decision to destroy a temple belonging to SNDP.
The resolution to demolish the temple comes following the decision to acquire land for Kochi Metro. Recently consent was granted for extension of metro railways from Kaloor to Kakkanad during the course of which authorities forcibly confiscated land in Alinchuvadu. This, after ensuring that property belonging to bigwigs who are closely associated with government officials remain intact.
The open discrimination came to light when officials openly conducted a survey and demarcated the property, after carefully omitting land belonging to business magnates. According to sources, the decision is to fully demolish the temple and reconstruct the same elsewhere and retain the areas where a five storeyed building belonging to a relative of Kunhalikutty, along with an apartment cluster belonging to Abad.
“Land is being acquired selectively. Earlier it was decided to acquire land from both sides. But now it is being taken from the side where the SNDP temple stands. This has happened after interference from government officials. The SNDP stands to lose not only their temple, but also a part of their shopping complex as well,” said sources.
An earlier similar instance is that of temple land being claimed for the purpose of constructing Pachalam overhead bridge, after craftily avoiding encroaching land belonging to a church. Authorities are said to have stirred controversy during construction of Vytilla’s mobility hub, by discriminating on communal line, when it came to reclamation of land.
Following complaints received from SNDP an inquiry into the matter has been constituted.
Source : Haindaiva Keralam
