Government not to intervene in Made Snana

BANGALORE: While refusing to accept the demand of the Opposition to order a ban on the Made Snana ritual, the state government promised to educate the masses against such practices.Announcing the government’s decision in the Legislative Council, after the Opposition and the treasury benches spoke on the subject, Higher Education and Muzrai Minister Dr V S Acharya, said the government would take services of prominent personalities including pontiff of the Udupi Pejawar Mutt and Veerendra Heggade of the Dharmasthala to educate the people.While denying the allegations that the ritual was started during the BJP’s rule, the minister said that the ritual was being practised for several centuries.Informing that the ritual,   opposed by others at the temple was being practiced voluntarily by devotees and there have been no charges collected by temple authorities for practicing it. “It is not a government sponsored programme,” the minister said.Also refuting charges that the DC of Udupi had banned the practice and retracted it when the government intervened, Acharya clarified that the DC did not ban it but appealed to the people to not continue it as it is opposed by cross sections of the society.“The DC had withdrawn his appeal following protest from devotees who believe that the practice would relieve them from their diseases,” he said.Ruling out the immediate intervention of the state against the practice, the minister promised the house to take services of prominent personalities including Pejawar Seer and Veerendra Heggade to mobilise public opinion against the ritual.Earlier, the house witnessed a heated arguement between the Ruling and the treasury benches during a debate over the issue. Opposition Congress leader Smt Motamma alleged that the state was keeping its eyes closed when the inhuman ritual is being practiced at the temple, which is administered by the state.BJP’s Prof Krishna Bhat, urged the government to testify whether the ritual has any medicinal value.“People resort to such practices in search of relief when they failed to get remedy from hospitals and clinics,” he said.All the participanats of the debate from the Opposition including M C Nanaiah, Y S V Datta, H C Neeravari, Chikka Madu (All JDS), Motamma, S R Patil, Allam Prabhu Patil criticised the Government, the BJP members including Bharathi Shetty, Prof Leela, Prof Krishna Bhat and others advised the government not to take any hasty decision.