We must protect our Dharma

Statement of Karnataka’s Congress Government Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar

Udupi (Karnataka) – “God neither grants boons nor curses; instead, He provides opportunities. We must protect our Dharma. Preserving and safeguarding Dharma is essential; no Dharma teaches ‘to trouble others.’ (However, there is one religion that instructs its followers to ‘kill non-believers, seize their wealth and women, and destroy their places of worship.’ Will DKShivakumar speak on this? – Editor) Those who serve temples always receive divine blessings. No one can live life without devotion,” said Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. He was speaking at the Brahmakalashotsava ceremony at Shri Halemarigudi (an old Mariamma Devi temple) in Kapu town, Udupi District.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stated,

1. A temple is a place where the bond between devotees and the divine is strongest. (If that is the case, why does the Government take control of temples instead of handing them over to devotees? Will it now stop viewing temples as revenue sources and return them to the devotees? – Editor)

2. Regardless of Dharma, the philosophy remains the same.(If that is the case, why do terrorists emerge from only one particular religion? Why are Saints not produced there instead? – Editor)

3. Receiving the first offering (prasad) from Mariamma Devi is a fortunate event for me. I did not come here as a Deputy Chief Minister but as a devotee.(Every devotee visits temples with this same sentiment, but due to Government control over temples, the money offered with devotion is misused and subjected to corruption. Will
Shivakumar act against this? – Editor)

4. Across the State, people have built temples on their own without Government assistance.(Devotees build temples out of faith in God, but the Government keeps an eye on the money flowing into these temples and seeks to exploit them. Using minor disputes as an excuse, temples are taken under Government control. When will justice be served to such temples? – Editor) I have not seen such incidents anywhere. Coming here has given me great satisfaction. I will send my wife and family members here as well.

5. Whenever I visit a temple or speak on religious matters, it becomes a topic of discussion. Once, when I encouraged placing a statue of Jesus in a certain place, people from your own District started calling me ‘Yeshu Kumar’ (Son of Jesus). Another time, when an MP made derogatory remarks about Muslims, I had stated, ‘They (Muslims) are also our brothers, and we cannot live without them. Can we butcher ? They do that job. Everyone should do their own work.’(There is a Hindu community known as ‘Khatik’ that engages in meat trading. However, due to the rise of ‘Halal meat’ (where animals are slaughtered by slitting their throats while facing Mecca, allowing them to die slowly), Hindu butchers have been sidelined, forcing Hindus to consume only Halal meat sold by Muslims. Why does Shivakumar not speak on this? – Editor)

6. Since I called them (Muslims) ‘brothers,’ people started addressing me with another name. (It is only Hindus who call Muslims ‘brothers,’ whereas Muslims refer to Hindus as ‘Kafirs’ (non-believers, idol worshippers). This is the ideology that led to Hindus being expelled from places like Kashmir. Why does Shivakumar not speak on this? – Editor)

7. Even when I visit a Shiva temple, people call me by different names. I participated in the Kumbha Mela. Does water have caste, religion, or political affiliation? Is it wrong to participate in the Kumbha Mela? People say all sorts of things. (Whenever Congress leaders visit temples, it is not as devotees but for political gain and this has
always been the case. Shivakumar attended the Maha Kumbha, but he did not visit the Shriram Temple. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge did not visit either. Shivakumar should speak on this – Editor)

Editorial Perspective

DK Shivakumar should declare how and since when he will protect Hindu Dharma. He should also inform Hindus about the steps he plans to take for this.