Street Vendors Federation Of Bengaluru Protests Ban On Non-Hindu Businesses Temple Fair

Non-Hindus were recently prohibited from setting up stalls around temples in several districts in Karnataka, which is a coordinated attack on minority communities' livelihoods. The organisations that work to protect the welfare of street vendors have strongly opposed the controversial rule and have called on the government to intervene and take action.

They include the Bengaluru Pragatipara Beedhi Vyaapari Sangha and the Kennataka Beedi Badhi Vyapari Sanghatanegala Okkota. Nevertheless, the Basavaraj Bommai government stated that the 'ban' was implemented under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, which was passed in 2002 under SM Krishna's rule in Karnataka.

Many street sellers, according to The Hindu, believe the prohibition is unlawful. The discriminatory mandate, according to CE Rangaswamy, the state president of Okkoota, is in violation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014 and the Karnataka Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules 2019.

According to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, they have placed stress on temple management board and asked the state government to restrict non-Hindu businessmen from opening up stores during temple festivals, yearly festivals, and religious celebrations.

As per a spokeswoman for one of the vendor welfare organisations, the remarks plainly reveal that the BJP administration is involved in the Sangh Parivar's request. Furthermore, the restriction may have a detrimental influence on some dealers' livelihoods, as this communal law, which is gaining traction every day, may harm their business.

Many Muslim businesses have come under fire in recent times for their position in Hindu religious organisations. The Mahalingeshwara Temple in Karnataka's Puttur region has banned non-Hindus from attending a forthcoming celebration on April 20, according to The News Minute.

Those who do not regard the rule of the country, who slaughter the cows we worship for, and who oppose unity will not be permitted to do commerce, read a sign at a temple in the Dakshina Kannada area. The present state government, on the other hand, is defending the convoluted rules.

While they attempted to 'dissociate' themselves from the scandal, they inadvertently aided it by noting the restrictions that only Hindu organisations are permitted to open businesses near temples or during religious festivals.