The Hindu 16.11.2010
Right action by residents helps prevent encroachment of public places
Staff Reporter
| Conscientious citizens have fought for the removal of such structures |
Bangalore: Demolishing or shifting the location of an unauthorised shrine is a very sensitive issue, as those who profit from these shrines incite worshippers to oppose any attempt at regulation. Yet, there are conscientious citizens who have alerted the authorities about unauthorised shrines and fought for their removal.
One of them is Kannada litterateur K. Marulasiddappa who has expressed displeasure over the installation of a statue at Dhanvantri Park in J.P. Nagar.
He and other residents of the locality objected to the installation and emergence of a “shrine” in a park which is a public space.
He said that after the residents objected, the construction of the wall around the statue of Dhanvantri was stopped.
“Right now, there is only a statue. The resistance from residents helped save the park,” he said.
However, the residents of J.P. Nagar 3rd Phase were not so lucky.
After a shrine came up in a small park in the locality, two residents, former Police Commissioner P. Kodandaramaiah was one of them, filed a writ petition against it in court.
“Though the High Court of Karnataka clearly directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike officials to remove the shrine, no action was taken. To top it, another shrine also came up inside the park,” Mr. Marulasiddappa said.
There are other instances where the residents were able to prevent it in time. Shreesh Babu, a resident of Palace Guttahalli, was shocked to see temporary structures that had come up at the Corporation Bullock Cart Stand, abutting a big drain in Malleswaram.
He found small posters of gods and goddesses arranged in the temporary shelter. He felt that the local association, which claimed to be maintaining the space, could eventually convert it into a shrine. The structures were partially removed after he complained and The Hindu wrote about it.
Kathyayini Chamaraj from CIVIC said that a shrine on Langford Road was partially demolished after a few residents complained. “The compound wall around the shrine was demolished and the shrine itself was left untouched,” she said.
