Team Herald
QUEPEM: The committee of Shree Shantadurga Fatarpekarin Devasthan, Fatorpa, clarified that it had not taken any decision to prohibit a particular community from putting up stalls during the annual zatra starting from December 31.
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Reacting to news appearing in a section of the press that the devasthan committee had barred Muslim vendors from putting up their stalls around the temple, the committee members clarified that the news report may have been based on an individual statement and it does not reflect the official stance of the devasthan committee.
The Quepem Deputy Collector and SDM Manohar I Karekar had convened a meeting of government officials and devasthan committee members following the media reports regarding a community-specific entry ban and vendor prohibition during the zatra. The reports caused considerable public concern and the meeting was to assess the situation and explore potential actions and clarifications.
Karekar raised concerns about the legal implications of any community-specific entry bans and its potential violation of constitutional rights, specifically under the Constitution.
Karekar said that the Constitution guarantees equality before the law and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
The committee members informed that some mahajans had raised their concerns about the issue during discussions and the same has been recorded. But no formal resolution or decision had been passed regarding any entry ban or vendor restriction, they stated, asserting that the temple trust had not imposed any specific restrictions on vendors based on their community or background.
“The temple administration’s objective was to preserve the religious sanctity and safety of the event with no intention to discriminate against any community or vendor. The festival’s central focus remained on harmony, devotion and inclusivity,” the devasthan committee members assured the State administration.
According to the Quepem Deputy Collector and SDM, the Administration is fully committed to providing all necessary assistance to ensure the safety and security of all individuals attending the four-day festival.
Quepem Taluka Mamlatdar Nathan Afonso, Cuncolim PSI Sudan Bhosle, Shree Shantadurga Fatarpekarin Devasthan attorney Mangesh B Dessai, secretary Santosh A N Dessai and treasurer Anand Paik Naik Dessai attend the meeting.
It is learnt that some fringe organisations of Hindu right wing had written letters to devasthan committees requesting them to prohibit Muslim vendors from putting up stalls during the zatra.
