BENGALURU: In a statement made on September 1, MLA Basan Gowda Patil Yatnal urged the public to engage in business only with those who respect, love, and preserve ancient Hindu religion, culture, rituals, and traditions, especially during festivals and other significant days. Yatnal’s comments, made in Vijayapura, have sparked a broader conversation about the intersection of religion, commerce, and national identity.
Addressing his supporters, Yatnal emphasised the importance of contributing to the safety and development of the country by choosing to buy goods from traders who share respect for Hinduism and exhibit patriotism. “For the safety and development of the country and the survival of our religion, every person who respects our religion and has patriotism should buy groceries, clothes, fruits, and vegetables from the big businessmen who do the same. This will give respect and contribution to our religion,” Yatnal stated.
He further argued that doing business with individuals he described as “anti-religious and anti-national” would compromise the purity of materials used in religious rituals. “If we do business with anti-religious and anti-national people, we will not get clean materials to use for our religious rituals. Because impure materials will be used for rituals, the sanctity of our rituals will be spoiled, and we will be deprived of purity,” he said, urging the public to be mindful of the sources from which they procure items for religious practices.
Yatnal also expressed concern over the potential erosion of Hindu traditions in India, drawing a comparison to the situation in Bangladesh, where he claimed Hindus face oppression and injustice. He called for concerted efforts to support poor traders who respect Hinduism, emphasizing that this would help in both preserving the religion and aiding those in need. “Our country should not be allowed to become like Bangladesh, where Hindus are being treated unfairly and oppressed. Everyone should take the initiative to deal with our poor traders who respect our religion without making any bargains to save and develop Hinduism,” Yatnal implored.
The MLA also appealed to the Hindu community to transcend caste differences and unite under the banner of Hinduism to ensure the future of the religion and the next generations. “To deal only with people who save our country and our religion, we should forget our petty caste differences and take a new step to encourage and nurture our brothers and sisters with the feeling that we are all Hindus for the future of our children, our generation,” he said.
In a related development, Sri Rama Sene President Pramod Muthalik has echoed Yatnal’s sentiments, calling for the celebration of a “halal-free” Ganeshotsava across the country. Speaking in Hukkeri town of Belagavi district, on Sunday Muthalik urged Hindus not to buy anything from those involved in cow slaughter, stating, “Don’t buy anything from cow eaters and cow slaughterers. No one should commit this crime, mistake, desecration.”
Muthalik further emphasised the importance of adhering to traditional practices during the festival, advocating for the use of clay Ganapati idols instead of those made from Plaster of Paris (POP), which he described as “unholy.” He also discouraged the use of movies and obscene songs during public Ganeshotsava celebrations, urging instead for devotional songs to be played and for festival-goers to abstain from alcohol and gutka during the procession.
“According to the Shastra, only clay Ganapati should be worshipped. Do not use POP Ganapati. It is unholy. Don’t put movies and obscene songs in public Ganeshotsava boards. Devotional songs should be played, and Ganeshotsava celebrated with firecrackers, flowers, fruits, vegetables, electronics, electrical equipment should be obtained. If you buy impure things, it will be against Shastra,” Muthalik said, adding a call for purity and devotion during the festival.
These statements by both Yatnal and Muthalik have reignited discussions on the role of religion in public life and commerce, with many supporters applauding their efforts to preserve Hindu traditions, while others have raised concerns about the potential for divisiveness.
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