The Indic Collective Trust and INTACH have denounced the ill-conceived demolition of heritage structures around Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri and rebuked elected representatives in Odisha’s elected representatives and administrative officials for their silence and complicity. They sought freedom of religion for Hindu worshippers in Odisha to practice their religion without any encumbrance. Recently, a WSN team visited Puri and saw first-hand how thousand-year-old Hindu Mutts have been mercilessly razed to the ground.

ON THE EVE OF THE SUPREME COURT HEARING of the Puri’s Lord Jagannath Temple corridor beautification plan case on 3 September, activists of the Indic Collective Trust and INTACH, while addressing a press conference in Bhubaneshwar expressed shock and anger at the Odisha government’s demolition drive of all heritage structures around the Lord Jagannath Temple.

Ravilochan Iyengar of The Indic Collective said that “the act of demolishing centuries-old structures, ostensibly for beautification and security, is a blatant violation of the letter and spirit of the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which categorically prohibits any agency from modifying physically or otherwise the nature of a place of worship of any community.”

Calling the structures “Illegal” is a mischievous misrepresentation of facts to enable the government to continue their unlawful campaign since the structures have been in existence longer than the Republic of India and are part of the social and religious fabric of the town of Puri,” he added.

The 3 of the 18 Mutts that have been demolished have deep historic ties to the temple. The Odisha government in its high-handedness have trampled upon the rights of devotees under Article 26 of the Indian constitution.

Dr Biswajit Mohanty, INTACH

Dr Biswajit Mohanty of INTACH said that “the 3 of the 18 Mutts that have been demolished so far have deep historic ties to the temple and its rituals with significant religious importance to the millions of adherents. In demolishing these structures, the Odisha government in its high-handedness have trampled upon the rights of devotees under Article 26 of the Indian constitution.”

In the first week of September this year, despite a petition by the Indic Collective in the Supreme Court and local protests, the Emar Mutt, the Bada Akhada Mutt and the Naga Mutt, which were cheek-by-jowl of the Lord Jagannath Temple were demolished and now a heavy police and para-military presence guards the remaining Mutts which have associational links with the Hindu faith and the visit of Guru Nanak to Puri.

The Emar Mutt was founded by the great Vaishnavite saint Shri Ramanuja himself. It has immense religious significance for Vaishnavites across the country. The Bada Akhada Mutt was the abode of saint Ramanand, who had stayed and carried out his work from there and was associated with the Naga sect.

Speaking on behalf of INTACH, conservation activist Anil Dhir rued the fact that “despite 8 of the 18 structures slated for demolition being certified to be heritage structures by the Archaeological Survey of India, the ASI and the Indian Ministry of Culture abjectly failed to effectively intervene to save the 3 Mutts demolished so far. It was further pointed out that, the claims of these structures being unsafe for habitation were only a ruse to carry out the demolition. The Raghunandan library was recently renovated and all the demolished structures were certified as safe by the government officials.”

Speaking at the press meet, Anil Dhir strongly condemned the strong-arm tactics of the government officials who stationed a 1000-strong police contingent to overawe and intimidate Shri Ramanuja Das of Emar Mutt, prior to the demolition of the Mutt.

“8 of the 18 structures slated for demolition are certified heritage structures by the Archaeological Survey of India, yet ASI and the Indian Ministry of Culture have abjectly failed to effectively intervene.”

Anil Dhir, INTACH

The Indic Collective Trust’s writ petition filed on behalf of the Punjabi Mutts, Radhaballabha Mutts and followers of Vaishnava Sampradaya was taken up by the Supreme Court without reprieve in the first instance and only at the last hearing on September 30, the apex court directed the government of Odisha not to take any step without taking into account the views of all stakeholders. It may be mentioned that the court-appointed amicus curie also misrepresented facts to the court without meeting the concerned Mutt Mahants and others. The Supreme Court has also granted liberty to the petitioners to challenge the demolition drive before the High Court of Odisha and if the need arises to again approach the Supreme Court of India.

Speaking to the media, Dr Biswajit Mohanty of INTACH said, “Notwithstanding whether this atrocious beautification project is part of the so-called HRIDAY and PRASAD schemes of the government of India, no kind of enhanced security and tourist access can be made available at the cost of vandalising and completely destroying centuries-old religious shrines which are part of the history and culture of the place, which is against the will of the reigning deity and which flagrantly violates the sensitivities of millions of devotees.”

“The demolition of centuries-old structures, ostensibly for beautification and security, is a blatant violation of of the Places of Worship Act 1991.”

Ravilochan Iyengar, The Indic Collective

“The religious and spiritual sanctity of Mutts and the surrounding of the Lord Jagannath Temple cannot be sacrificed at the altar of religious tourism. The whole cosmos of the environs is to provide spiritual solace and much-needed food, medicine and lodging support system which gets heavily compromised when spiritual centres become tourist paradises,” he added.

Taking umbrage at the approach of the government and also of the Collector of Puri Balwant Singh Rathore, which has vitiated the trust of Hindu mahants and millions of devotees, the INTACH and Indic Collective team sought immediate measures to salvage the situation and restore trust of the people.

The team has sought prosecution of officials of the demolition drive under whose supervision the 3 Mutts were demolished under the Places of Worship Act and various provisions of the Constitution of India. They have asked for compensation for the trauma and legal expenses through a Corpus fund to the Mahants of demolished Mutts and restoration of the demolished structures in consultation with Mahants and conservation experts. To provide succour and support to the Mahants and others who inhabited the 3 demolished Mutts, the team has sought setting up of temporary structures within the larger Temple complex.

“I hope and pray that better sense will prevail and the religious places of all religions will be saved for posterity,”

Sukhvinder Kaur, social activist and advocate

Social activist and advocate Sukhvinder Kaur, who took lead to bring up the case of the 3 Mutts set up in the memory of the visit of the founder of Sikhism -Guru Nanak, also addressed the press meet and sought further reassurance from the government that no damage of any kind will be done to the Mangu Mutt, Punjabi Mutt and the Baoli Mutt. “I hope and pray that better sense will prevail and the religious places of all religions will be saved for posterity,” she said.

Will the government of Odisha listen? Will the Supreme Court of India take all the true facts into consideration while dealing with this matter of faith?