TELUK INTAN, AUG 13- Yet another temple land controversy has occurred; this time on a 130-year-old Hindu temple, Arulmigu Sri Mahamariamman Kovil in Simpang Empat, Hutan Melintang near here.
On Friday, the developer allegedly engaged some local thugs and the police to close the temple for public use.
The developer is said to have ventured into a deal with the owner of the temple land to develop a row of multi-storey shop lots.
Hindraf, an Indian-based civil rights movement, claimed that the thugs who were assisted by the local police also defaced some parts of the temple structure before locking it up in the midst of a protest by devotees.
Death threats were issued to the temple priests and committee members; and some journalists who covered the visit to the temple by the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office P Waythamoorthy, two weeks ago. Several police reports have been lodged on this matter.
Waythamoorthy said a police officer at a nearby police station initially denied collaborating with the thugs, but later admitted when he revealed photographs showing the officer among the group of thugs.
Last Saturday morning, some 30 Hindraf supporters from Selangor, Perak and Kedah led by their chairman, Waythamoorthy, with local residents unlocked the temple.
Waythamoorthy said the priest was issued a death threat if he continued conducting prayers in the temple. Nevertheless after much persuasion and personal assurance he conducted the prayers.
“The priest and devotees were emotional. Many were in tears. I could sense the feeling of helplessness in them,” Waythamoorthy told FMT.
He slammed the developer’s act to lock up the 130-year-old temple to prevent devotees from performing their daily prayers as “unconscionable and unconstitutional conduct.”
According to Hindraf, the temple was built in Bernam Estate, formerly under a British landowner. He had also allocated a five-acre burial ground along with other facilities for the estate workers as part of their local community development.
Before leaving the country in 1960s, the British landowner sold major parts of the estate for the development of a new township; but transferred the ownership of the temple land to the then estate chief clerk, Achutan Nair.
The colonial landowner had also kept another 12-acres of land under Achutan Nair to generate revenue for the temple.
State government should intervene
Waythamoorthy stressed that the land transfer was “a constructive trust in law.”
The land ownership was passed on from Achutan Nair to his son Krishna Das and later further down to his grandson, Ratha Krishnan.
Under Krishna Das, the 12-acre land and five-acre burial ground were sold without the knowledge of the estate workers and their families.
According to the residents, Krishna Das had promised not to sell the temple land at any cost.
But now Ratha Krishnan claims sole ownership of the temple land and insists that he has the right to demolish the temple to build a commercial shop lot; in a joint venture deal with a developer.
“Poor Indians don’t have rights. Private owners and thugs rule and dictate the law to the poor,” alleged the Hindraf leader.
Given the local residents poor financial resources, Waythamoorthy appealed to any lawyer to assist the devotees if the issue went to court.
“On behalf of Hindraf, I appeal to any one lawyer out there, who wants to do justice to the devotees and Amman (deity),” said Waythamoorthy.
Hindraf has called on for Perak Barisan Nasional government intervention to resolve the controversy amicably.
The movement wants Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir to probe into how the state Estate Board approved the temple land transaction.
Hindraf wants Zambry’s administration to preserve the land for the temple as it could serve many devotees residing within its vicinity, and compensate the developer with an alternate land.
“We hope the state government would resolve the problem soon,” said Waythamoorthy.
