Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari temple rejects 'Boycott Muslims' call from right-wing groups
Lucknow: The popular Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan has rejected demands made by right-wing groups to boycott Muslim workers who provide services to the shrine, following protests sparked by the recent attack in Pahalgam.
Gyanendra Kishore Goswami, a priest and member of the temple’s administrative committee, called the demand impractical and out of step with local traditions. “Muslims, particularly artisans and weavers, have deep-rooted contributions here. They've played a major role in weaving the dresses of Banke Bihari for decades,” the Times of India quoted Goswami as saying.
Protesters in Mathura and Vrindavan had appealed to Hindu shopkeepers and devotees to avoid doing business with Muslims. They also asked Muslim shop-owners to "write proprietors' names on business establishments.
Meanwhile, Goswami underscored the deep-rooted social harmony in the temple town, highlighting the invaluable contributions of Muslim artisans to the temple. He noted that some of the most intricate crowns and bangles offered to the deity are made by Muslims.
At the same time, he strongly condemned the attack in Pahalgam and urged strict action against the perpetrators. “But in Vrindavan, Hindus and Muslims live together in peace and harmony,” he emphasised. His sentiments were echoed by most priests and locals, the report added.
Nearby shopkeeper Javed Ali, who runs 'Star Mukut', said he was directly confronted by protesters who asked him to put the name of the proprietor on the signboard. “I've been running this shop for over 20 years. My father worked here as a tailor. Whenever a customer buys things, I usually give them a bill receipt with my name and mobile number on it. We have nothing to hide,” TOI quoted Ali as saying. He added that the priests’ stance had provided them with much-needed relief and reassurance.
Nikhil Aggarwal, who owns a shop next to Ali’s, supported his neighbour, noting that they have always maintained a cordial relationship and frequently help each other, irrespective of religion.
This is not the first time the temple administration has resisted divisive demands. A month ago, priests similarly dismissed calls to stop using attire crafted by Muslim artisans for the deity, emphasising that religious discrimination had no place in the temple's traditions. They noted that the demand was “impractical” as other communities “simply did not have the same level of dexterity in crafting these attires.”
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
