Is this Hinduism? Girls’ dress removed in temple, forced to remain topless

News Network
September 27, 2017

The pictures and video clippings of minor Hindu girls participating in a ritual wherein they are forced stay bare-chested for a fortnight at Madurai’s Yezhaikatha Amman temple have sparked outrage on social media.

According to the temple’s tradition, the priest selected the seven girls between ages of 10 and 14 and ‘offered’ them to the deity for a fortnight beginning the last Tuesday in the Tamil month of Aavani. Girls from 62 villages are paraded before the priest of the temple before seven are selected.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh chief secretaries and the director generals of police over allegations of continuance of the Devadasi system that includes offering girls as slaves to goddess Mathamma.

"Allegedly, as part of the ritual, the girls are dressed as a bride and once the ceremony is over, their dresses are removed by five boys, virtually leaving them naked. They are denied to live with their families and have the education. They are forced to live in Mathamma temple deemed to be like a public property and face sexual exploitation," the statement issued by NHRC said.

The commission observed that the allegations made in a complaint as well as a media report about the continuance of this practice were serious in nature, and if true, these amount to violation of human rights including rights to education, life and dignity besides children's rights.

Threat calls to editor

Meanwhile, the editor-in-chief of news website in Coimbatore has lodged a complaint with Coimbatore police claiming that she has been receiving threatening calls ever since it ran a story on this bizarre ritual in Madurai’s temple.

“I had to switch off my phone as there was a volley of life threats and several hate calls ever since we posted the story and Madurai district administration reached the spot to probe,” Vidyashree Dharmaraj, editor-in-chief of Covai Post said.

Comments

Suthakar
 - 
Wednesday, 28 Nov 2018

This story is totally wrong. All girls are under 11. under 11 years kids are public  topless common in India. we are respecting all females. Always parants staying with kids  those days. kids never stay alone anytime

Ram Nigahen
 - 
Saturday, 6 Jan 2018

This is the right thing. Finnally, Indians realize their fault. If men are topless, so should women be topless.

ahmed
 - 
Thursday, 28 Sep 2017

tiz is the reality of HINDUISM 

Prakash
 - 
Thursday, 28 Sep 2017

Is this Hinduism shame on the dirty religion....day by day decreasing its charm and more and more people attracting towards Islam

Common Man
 - 
Thursday, 28 Sep 2017

The same people are talking about Burkha and Triple thalak. its strange

vim
 - 
Thursday, 28 Sep 2017

Is this Islam? Housewifes are made prostitutes under garb of nikah halala

Muzzamil
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Sep 2017

Need another Tipu sultan to stop these practices

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News Network
February 10,2020

Belagavi, Feb 10: In comments that raised eyebrows, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP and who took oath as minister last week, said his brother Satish has a bright future. The two siblings have rarely seen eye-to-eye — at least in public — in recent times.

He also trained his gun on Congress leader DK Shivakumar, sarcastically thanking the Congress MLA for his meteoric rise. “Had Shivakumar not stood against me, I would not have emerged as a tall leader in the state. I must thank him,” Ramesh said.

The Gokak MLA said Satish of the Congress, the most politically-savvy of the five Jarkiholi siblings, would reach “the top” in his political career. However, he advised him “to inculcate patience and adopt strategies”. “He should make his moves at the right time as timing is very important in politics,” Ramesh said.

He also urged Satish to keep his supporters happy. “Many of his followers are disappointed with his leadership because he does not extend a helping hand to his own people. In the present political climate, people do not endorse a leader who only talks about Buddha and Basava,” Ramesh said.

Ramesh took a dig at Lakan, the youngest sibling, saying, “Lakan speaks ill about me most of the time. He does not understand much. But we brothers are one when it comes to family. We are united when it comes to family matters, but when it comes to politics, we are at loggerheads.”

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News Network
August 7,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 7: Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka, the state's health department issued fresh guidelines for the disposal of bodies of COVID patients.

"Although an increased risk of COVID infection from a dead body to health workers or family members who follow standard precautions while handling the body is unlikely, the lack of scientific data requires the utmost care to avoid the inadvertent spread of COVID-19 during these times," the statement from the health department's press release read, emphasising on the dignity of the dead and the religious and cultural tradition.

The 23-page press release elaborated on guidelines regarding testing, handling of dead bodies and other specificities in relation to the management of COVID-19 bodies.

"Testing should not be insisted in every case of death, but only when they have a recorded history of influenza-like symptoms. The body should be handed over to the family members/ relatives in a dignified manner immediately after swab collection and hospitals should provide handouts with a list of dos and don'ts in English and Kannada laying down relevant information," the statement said.

It added, "At the mortuary, health care workers, mortuary staff and the family of the deceased body shall not come in direct contact with the dead body and must wear full personal protective equipment (PPE). If the family or relative are for any reason unable to cremate or bury the body, the local health authority shall arrange for the dignified last rites as per the religious traditions of the family."

Regarding autopsies (post mortem) on COVID-19 bodies, the state department said that they should be avoided, except in necessary circumstances.

The statement also gave detailed guidelines regarding the appropriate recording of COVID-19 deaths in line with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines.

Additionally, the health department made a statement about the admission procedure for COVID positive patients referred by other district administrations saying, "It is now mandatory for all the referrals from the BBMP admission and discharge of COVID positive patients to be done through the online COVID Hospital Bed Management System (CHBMS)."

The state's count of coronavirus cases was 1,51,449 in the past 24 hours.

So far, a total of 2,804 people have died due to COVID-19 in the state, while the average recovery rate in Karnataka is 49.3 per cent.

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News Network
April 11,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 11: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar on Saturday lodged a complaint with Director General and Inspector General of Police Praveen Sood seeking action against four BJP leaders for their alleged communal statements.

In his petition, Mr Shivakumar cited remarks made by BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje, former union minister Anant kumar Hegde, MP Renukacharya and MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal were ''vituperative statements'' which were offences under Section 153A of the IPC.

The Congress leader alleged that the four leaders ''joined in a criminal conspiracy to create enmity between Hindus and the minority community.''

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