Mukesh Singh from Rajasthan has put up a stall, with a saffron flag planted on top, selling an assortment of items ranging from bangles to utensils on Mangaladevi temple road (or Car Street) for the Navaratri fair in Mangaluru.
“A group of people came on October 17 morning and asked me to display a saffron flag. I agreed,” said Mr. Singh. “But people are not bothered either way and buy what they want.”
He said business was down for all traders, irrespective of the community they belonged to and whether they had a saffron flag fluttering on top or not.
As many as 82 stalls have been put up for the annual Navaratri festival at the ancient Mangaladevi temple in Mangaluru and Mr. Singh’s is among those with a saffron flag on display.
The controversy began when the Endowment Department-controlled temple held two rounds of auction and allotted 82 spaces. Of them, six were allotted to Muslims and one was allotted to a trader from the Jain community.
A member of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Jatra Vyparastara Samanvaya Samiti said that eight Hindu traders, who were allotted stalls in the auction, in turn had sub-let their stalls to Muslims to do business.
On October 17, Vishwa Hindu Parishad Dakshina Karnataka Pranta joint secretary Sharan Pumpwell and other VHP activists came here and fixed saffron flags on select stalls.
They later gave a call for people to shop in the stalls which displayed saffron flags. The outfit, among other Hindutwa groups in coastal Karnataka, had been campaigning for not allowing Muslim traders at temple fairs. Last year, hoardings had come up on some temple premises during fairs urging people not to buy from non-Hindu traders.
Following demand for action by the samiti, the Mangaluru South Police, on October 18, suo motu registered a case under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (Promoting enmity between groups on the ground of religion) against Mr. Pumpwell and other VHP activists. However, they challenged this in the Karnataka High Court the next day and got an interim stay on the FIR.
Nothing unsual
Sunil from Mangaluru, who has put up a stall of readymade garments, said that at some urs-related fairs a few Muslim groups press for displaying green flags too.
“I have displayed both green flags and saffron flags when asked in the interest of my business. But for the first time the VHP has called for displaying saffron flags at the Mangaladevi temple Navaratri festival fair... People from different communities visit the stalls irrespective of the display of flags at the stalls,” he said.
Concurring with Mr. Sunil, Zakir Hussain, who has put up a stall selling dry fruits and leather bags, said the business in the last six days of the festival had not been great, but it had nothing to do with flags.
“Business has been generally bleak this year for all,” Mr. Hussain said and hoped to make good business in the next six days.
K. Vinayananda, a representative of the temple management, said people from different faiths follow the temple and they openly participate in different rituals. The temple had not made any distinction among traders either, who put up stalls during the Navaratri fair and during annual temple fair.
G. Chetana, a resident of Valencia in Mangaluru who was busy shopping for dress material and pottery at the fair on Saturday, said she had not even paid attention to whether the shop had flag or not.
