Controversy deepens when furious devotees attack Made Madasnana critic

Controversy deepens when furious devotees attack Made Madasnana critic

Mangalore Today News Network

Subramanya, Nov 30, 2011: The controversial Made Madasnana ritual, which requires devotees to roll on the banana leaf plates discarded by Brahmins after meals, became more controversial than ever when a group of furious devotees attacked a backward class leader who spoke against the ritual.

Dr. K. S. Shivaram of Mysore, the president of the Karnataka Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagrutha Vedike, who had arrived with some 30 social workers, was attacked by a group of devotees after a heated argument in the presence of the police. Just before he was attacked, Shivaram was addressing reporters.

 

The furious devotees hurled verbal abuses on Mr. Shivaram, and one of them even wanted to know who he was to question their customs. According to an eyewitness, one of the attackers was a member of the temple committee. After beating him up, they also chased him around the temple just before the Made Snana rituals were about to commence at 11:00 a.m. Even Shivaram’s supporters were not spared.

 

 

Another eyewitness said that Mr. Shivaram had arrived from Mysore to submit a memorandum against Made Snana to the deputy commissioner of DK district and that he had not staged any protest at the temple.

Addressing the press yesterday, Mr. Shivaram said that he criticized the ritual, which was an effort of the Brahmins to keep the caste system alive in society. He had threatened that he would approach the Supreme Court against the state government for permitting this “inhuman” practice in a temple that comes under the Muzrai department. He also criticized Pejawar Seer Swami Vishwesha Teertha for keeping quiet about the ritual and accused him of actually instructing the temple to conduct the ritual every year.

Yesterday, angry devotees had attacked the crew of a Kannada TV news channel, which was trying to cover the ritual.

The assistant commissioner of the Puttur division and Sundar Bhat, the administrative officer of the temple, were also present when Mr. Shankar and his team were attacked.