Author: Our Staff Reporter
Publication: The Hindu
Date: May 17, 2002
The Hindu Aikyavedi has alleged
that the Adivasi leader, C. K. Janu, had visited Vatican and Germany many
times to be trained as a spokesperson of Christian missionaries.
Addressing a press conference after
submitting a memorandum to the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, here today,
the general convener of the Hindu Aikyavedi, J. Sisupalan, said the vedi
had ample proof in this regard. "We had supported her agitation, but she
has been exposed with the Mathikettan issue. She is not the leader of all
Advasis as she claims," he said.
"The Cross, which is a religious
symbol, is being used of late to encroach the forest land. The 26 Crosses
installed at Mathikettan should be removed within a month if not the vedi
will encroach the forest land," the general convener said.
Welcoming the decision of the Cabinet
to relieve the Revenue Department of the control of the Mathikettan shola,
Mr. Sisupalan said it had sabotaged the plans of the Revenue Minister,
K. M. Mani, to take over the forest land.
The president of Kerala Kshetra
Samrakshana Samithy, P. Kerala Varma Raja, who was also present at the
press conference, said the Government should end the control of political
parties in the administration of temples and take steps to introduce a
system in which the devotees had representation.
The unnecessary interference of
political leaders had tainted the temple administration and had resulted
in corruption, he said. Pointing out that the Malabar Devaswom Bill introduced
in the Assembly would result in the destruction of Hindu charitable organisations,
the vedi demanded amendments to it. The vedi also demanded immediate steps
to pay salary and perks to the employees of the Malabar Devaswom on par
with the employees of the Travancore and Kochi Devaswom Boards at present.
The vedi urged the Chief Minister
to bring to book all the culprits involved in the December 7 incidents
at Pathanamthita. The Government should pay compensation to the victims
and expedite the inquiry to expose the real culprits.
