Demand submitted by a delegation of pro-Hindu organisations to the Shri Dev Bodgeshwar Temple Committee in Mapusa
Mapusa (Goa): A joint delegation of pro-Hindu organisations in Mapusa has called upon the Shri Dev Bodgeshwar Temple Committee to allow only local Hindus to operate stalls and amusement rides like the giant wheel at the annual Jatrotsav (annual fair). Representatives submitted a memorandum outlining their demands and concerns.
In the memorandum, the Gomantak Mandir Mahasangh, along with Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Goa Hindu Yuvashakti, Swarajya Gomantak, Vishwa Hindu Ekta Sanghatana, Goyanchi Narishakti, Samarthan Sanghatana Goa, Shivarajya Pratishthan Goa, and others, asserted that over the past several years, amusement businesses and more than half of the stalls at the fair have been systematically taken over by people of specific communities. They argued that this practice not only restricts opportunities for local residents but also affects cultural ownership of the long-standing religious tradition.
The representation further referenced recent national security concerns, including the Delhi bomb blast and a recently exposed conspiracy involving the misuse of temple prasad for sabotage. In light of these developments, the organisations urged that all business permissions at the Jatrotsav be granted only after mandatory verification of each applicant, and that the operation of amusement activities be allotted strictly to local Hindus, in order to safeguard the sanctity of the temple premises.
The delegation also proposed that individuals who have made notable contributions to the protection of Dharma at the taluka or state level should be felicitated during the Jatrotsav. Before submitting the memorandum, the representatives collectively offered prayers before Shri Dev Bodgeshwar.
Speaking to the media, members of the delegation stated that the demands were being made from the perspective of safeguarding long-standing tradition, protecting the livelihood of locals, and preserving the interests of the Hindu majority of Goa.
