Blatant lie by Christian Sonia Gandhi on Sabarimala to justify Haj Subsidy!

Author: HK Correspondent
Publication: Haindava Keralam
Date: November 24, 2006
URL: http://www.haindavakeralam.org/PageModule.aspx?PageID=2412&SKIN=B
The Central Govt's counsel Haris Beeran informed the Supreme Court while
justifying Haj Subsidy to Muslims that "the government of Kerala gives a subsidy
to pilgrims travelling by its Road Transport Corp to Sabarimala temple". One
wonders at the source of this information for the honourable counsel!!
The fact of the matter is that no Ayappa devotee has received any Subsidy of ANY
kind from ANY Govt.
Hurting Facts
Sabarimala Temple earns the Kerala Govt Rs.10,000/- crore via sales and other
indirect taxes every year. Yet the Kerala Govt hands out to 'Hariharasuthan' and
his devotees a step motherly treatment.
The devaswom board is forced to pay lakhs of rupees to the govt during the
Mandala-makara vilakku season to Govt. for 'nil' services rendered. On the other
hand for the festivals and conventions of other religions, the govt displays a
large heart and gives them a 'FREE LUNCH'!!
In Sabarimala, the charges imposed by the govt are paid from offerings given by
the devotees.
For availing of drinking water facilities at Sabarimala, the devaswom board pays
around 50 lakhs to the Kerala water authority.
For meeting the expenses of doctors and para-medics the devaswom board pays 55
lakhs annually.
The electricity charges are exorbitant and unheard of anywhere. The govt charges
Rs. 1.8 crores for supply of electricity as advance deposit.
The Dewaswom even has to pay around Rs. 25 lakhs to the sanitation society headed
by the district collector for the cleaning work.
The roads leading to Pampa are going to be built on BOT basis. That means new
tollgates are going to come up, again to exploit the poor pilgrim!
Due to security threats from Islamic terorrists there is extra expenditure for the
devaswom board to deploy a large number of police and security personnel's. This
year around 75 lakhs are being spent towards security. The Maramon convention by
the Christian sabha is offered free security by the govt
The Travancore Dewaswom Board was made to pay Rs. 6.5 crores as compensation for
getting 110 hectares of forestland in Nilakkal to provide amenities to pilgrims.
By shelling out this huge amount, the Dewaswom Board has today become almost
bankrupt.
The maintenance and developmental work at 1300 temples have been affected at least
for the next 3 years. And to top it all, the so-called forestland handed over to
the Dewaswom Board at Nilakkal is in fact plantation land. In the other hand 58
acres of land has been leased out to the Malayattur Church for just Rs. 100 per
year per acre?
While the donation offered by the pilgrims are utilised for these expenses, the
christian conventions and the activities of the Muslim wakf board enjoys special
privileges and status and are given crores of rupees as grants.
This step-motherly treatment has to come to an end. This is possible only through
an organised movement by the majority Hindus of this state.
Despite the foregoing facts, the Central Govt. counsel Haris Beeran, persists with
the fiction of 'subsidy' for the Sabarimala Piligrimage.