Puri tense after clashes over temple reforms
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha police conducted a flag march in the temple town of Puri on Wednesday following violence in parts of the town during a bandh (shutdown strike) called to resist state government attempts to streamline the functioning of the 12th century Jagannath temple on the Supreme Court’s directions.
Police said its outpost at the temple was vandalised, stones were thrown at the superintendent of police’s residence;the two offices of the temple were ransacked and cash, electronic items, furniture and groceries looted. About 20 policemen were injured in stone pelting and several barricades burnt, police officials said.
On Tuesday, the Odisha government implemented the first step— a queue—for pilgrims as part of an action plan to streamline the temple’s administration. The plan has been opposed by a local organisation Jagannath Sena, which sponsored Wednesday’s shutdown.
Police fired tear gas shells and resorted to a mild lathi-charge to control protesters. “We were simply outnumbered by the protesters and our initial reluctance to use force emboldened them. But now the situation is under control," said inspector general of police (central range), Soumendra Priyadarshi.
Later, the police conducted a flag march in a show of force to bring the situation under control. "Anyone who was involved in violence would be taken to task," Priyadarshi said.
In June and July this year, the Supreme Court ordered a series of reforms to streamline temple affairs. The court has made 12 proposals, saying temple servitors will have no claim on offerings made by devotees and all collections must go the temple ‘hundi’ following a petition in the apex court by Cuttack-based lawyer Mrinalini Padhi. These proposals included a barricaded queue system for devotees from the entrance, an end to donations to priests and transparency in temple management. While there is consensus on nine out of the 12 proposals, there was disagreement on the rest, government officials said.
“Resentment is over this (queue system) as it is an undemocratic process,” said Das Mohapatra, head of Chhatisa Nijog, a powerful body of the temple priests. Puri district collector Jyoti Prakash Das, said the queue system was purely experimental and will be withdrawn.