Hijab, Halal And Loudspeakers In Mosques, Everything Karnataka Right-Wing Groups Want Banned

Over the past couple of months, Karnataka has been in the news for mostly wrong reasons and it seems like it is not going to change any time soon.

Days after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray demanded that loudspeakers of mosques in Maharashtra be shut down, right-wing groups in Karnataka have also made a similar demand.

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Bajrang Dal and Sriram Sena have now called for a ban on loudspeakers in mosques in Karnataka.

In a video message, Sriram Sena convener Pramod Muthalik said the Hindu outfits have been demanding that the loudspeakers on mosques should be banned and the Supreme Court's order on noise pollution implemented.

In this regard, the Sriram Sena had petitioned the authorities concerned but no one paid heed, he alleged.

The government has to instruct the mosque managements not to use loudspeakers, Muthalik said.

Though the Karnataka government has not officially commented on the issue, state Minister KS Eshwarappa said any solution to the issue can be found by taking the Muslim community into confidence.

It will be good if Muslim community leaders to think about it and use speakers within the mosques, in a way it doesn't disturb others, he said.

Boycott halal campaign

This comes days after some right-wing groups had given a call to boycott halal meat, on the occasion of Varshadodaku, the day after Ugadi, when many communities have a non-vegetarian feast.

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They had opposed the use of halal meat on Varshadodaku as according to them, it is offered to Allah first and the same cannot be offered to Hindu gods later.

Mandatory stunning of animals

While the boycott of halal was a call made by fringe groups, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department in Karnataka has asked the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to direct all slaughterhouses and chicken shops in the city to ensure that animals are mandatorily stunned before they are slaughtered.

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Stunning is a process where various methods of shock are used to 'stun' the animal so that it becomes unconscious before slaughter.

Many, however, say that this would make it non-halal.

No Muslim traders near temples

Since the last week of March, there has been a growing demand for denial of permission for non-Hindu traders and vendors to carry out business during annual temple fairs and religious events in Karnataka.

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Initially, banners were placed during the annual Kaup Marigudi festival in Udupi district, stating that non-Hindu vendors and traders should not be allowed entry.

Thereafter similar banners were also displayed at Padubidri temple festival, and also at a couple of temples in Dakshina Kannada district.

Hijab ban in educational institutions

All the recent demands for bans in Karnataka seem to have originated from how some fringe groups managed to get hijab banned in schools and colleges across the state.

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The row over female students wearing hijab started in a college Udupi district in January and spread across the state like wildfire.

Last month the Karnataka High Court had upheld the ban on hijabs in educational institutions.

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