Ganesh idol makers seek govt protection from ‘non-Hindu' lenders
Samithi leaders called on the government to halt alleged "theft by other religions" in the Ganesh idol making business, emphasising that all possible help should be extended to the artisans. This demand was raised at a meeting of Ganesh idol makers held in Uppal-Nagole on Friday, organised under the auspices of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi. Dr Ravinutala Shashidhar, VHP National Spokesperson and Ganesh Utsav Samithi Secretary, was the chief guest. Speaking at the event, Shashidhar announced, "Bhagyanagar is getting ready for the 46th mass Ganesh Festival and arrangements were being made to organise the Ganesh festival on a grand scale from 27 August to 6 September."
Shashidhar stated that middlemen entering the business at the last minute were exploiting the hardships faced by Hindu idol makers, who have come to the city from Rajasthan, Gujarat, and other places and have been engaged in making Ganesh idols for the past 25 to 30 years.
He alleged that these middlemen, associated with Muslim and Christian organisations, have also entered the business. Shashidhar asserted that this issue relates to the religious beliefs of Hindus, and that organisers were experiencing difficulties due to the low rates offered by traders from other religions. He further claimed that these middlemen were harassing idol makers by providing loans at high interest rates. The Ganesh Utsav Samithi is seeking a permanent solution to this problem, with plans being formulated. "The makers of idols and the people who sell them must be entirely Hindus, but people of other religions are allowed to do so," Shashidhar concluded.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
'Love Jihad' gang busted in UP's Kushinagar, 2 women among 8 arrested
Kushinagar police have busted a gang allegedly involved in trapping Hindu girls in the guise of "Love Jihad" and forcibly converting them to Islam. A total of eight individuals, including two women, have been arrested in connection with the arrests were made following a complaint lodged by Sunil Verma, who alleged that his 19-year-old daughter was lured and taken to Amritsar, where she was forcibly converted and kept hidden by a group operating as an organised on the complaint, a joint team of local police and cyber cell launched a search operation and recovered the girl safely on Sunday. Police also recovered two Aadhaar cards-one in her original name, Neha Verma, and another issued in her converted name, Parvani Khatoon — along with 11 SIM cards and nine mobile phones allegedly used in the operation. Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Mishra said, "Complainant Sunil Verma of Mahuawa Buzurg submitted an application saying that his daughter was taken from Amritsar and hidden after being converted by some individuals. This was an organised gang, and eight people have been arrested so far. Ashiq Ansari, Imtiyaz, Mohammad Sahab, among others, gave her a new name after conversion and kept her hidden. Further investigation is ongoing."The arrested individuals have been identified as Taufiq Ansari, Ashiq Ansari and his son Imtiyaz, Mohammad Sahab Ansari, Zeeshan Qamar, Mazhar, and two women, Kaiser Jahan and Fatima. According to the police, the accused confessed to being part of a well-organised network that targeted Hindu women for religious claimed the gang pursued the victim over a long period, manipulating her through emotional exploitation and inducements, and ultimately coerced her into conversion. They also said Taufiq Ansari used explicit videos and recorded conversations to blackmail the victim's Jahan and Fatima allegedly played a key role in psychologically manipulating the girl, showing her religious content to influence her FIR has been registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021. A manhunt is underway to trace other gang members who remain absconding.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Uttar Pradesh
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Lokesh urges NRIs to be partner in AP's development
1 2 Vijayawada: HRD and IT minister Nara Lokesh called upon the Singapore-based Telugu diaspora to promote investment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh. He described Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) as Most-Reliable Indians (MRIs) as their role in the development of the homeland is significant. Speaking at the Telugu diaspora meeting organised by APNRT in Singapore on Sunday, Minister Lokesh emphasised that foreign investments are crucial to India's economy. He said that India received a total of Rs 6.73 lakh crore in foreign direct investments during the 2024-25 fiscal year, with approximately Rs 1.24 lakh crore coming from Singapore. He said that this accounts for 19% of the total FDI. "The global trust in Chandrababu Naidu is our investment. CBN (Chandrababu Naidu) is our brand. Let's promote the opportunities in our state to attract investments," Lokesh urged. Lokesh lauded the Telugu community's influence abroad, stating that NRIs are India's brand ambassadors. He urged all NRIs to partner in the state's development. "If a significant portion of the investments come to Andhra Pradesh, our state will become another Singapore," said Lokesh. He also praised the Telugu people for their resilience and support during challenging times, including the recent Pahalgam attack where a state soldier was martyred. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Comfortably: 60m2 prefabricated bungalow for the elderly in Esperanza Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo Reflecting on the legacy of Lee Kuan Yew, Lokesh remarked, "One of my favourite and inspiring leaders is Lee Kuan Yew, who transformed a small fishing village into a global economic powerhouse during his 31 years as Prime Minister." He encouraged NRIs to leverage their expertise and invest in Andhra Pradesh's burgeoning sectors, highlighting the state's extensive coastline, infrastructure, and emerging Quantum Valley as key attractions. Lokesh outlined the state's commitment to creating 20 lakh jobs through new industrial policies and skill development programmes aimed at harnessing global opportunities. "We are implementing new industrial policies, taking Singapore as a role model for the speed of doing business. Our Andhra Pradesh state has immense resources," he added. The minister also announced the launch of APNRT 2.0, aimed at providing enhanced support to NRIs. He called for collective efforts to achieve a healthy, prosperous, and happy Andhra Pradesh, reinforcing the vision of a double-engine govt working under the leadership of Narendra Modi at the centre and Chandrababu Naidu in the state.
The Print
2 hours ago
- The Print
Modi announces statues of Chola kings as BJP takes Shaivite route to cracking Tamil Nadu puzzle
Addressing the people gathered, Modi harked back to the installation of the Sengol in the new Parliament building. A gold-plated, silver sceptre, the Sengol was earlier housed at the Allahabad Museum. Emissaries from the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam Matha, a Shaivite monastery, are believed to have had brought the Sengol to North India. Since then, the Sengol had been lying in the Allahabad museum for decades before it hit the headlines in 2023, when Modi, along with Hindu priests heading the 20 Adheenams in Tamil Nadu, installed it near the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair. On Sunday, participating in the Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival at Tamil Nadu's Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, established by Rajendra Chola I in the then-capital of the Chola Empire, Prime Minister Modi said the statues would 'serve as modern pillars of India's historical consciousness'. Honouring Rajendra Chola I, he also released a commemorative coin at the temple, which is now celebrating its 1,000th anniversary. Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the government will install statues of Raja Raja Chola, who ruled the Chola empire at its peak in the 10th and early 11th centuries, and his son Rajendra Chola I in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming years. 'During the inauguration of the new Parliament building, the saints from the Shaivite Adheenams led the ceremony spiritually. The sacred Sengol, deeply rooted in Tamil culture, has been ceremoniously installed in the new Parliament,' Modi said, emphasising that the Shaivite tradition in the state had played a key role in shaping the country's cultural identity. 'Chola emperors were key architects of this legacy. Even today, Tamil Nadu remains one of the most significant centres—where this living tradition continues to thrive.' Political analysts in the state, however, say the PM's address is an extension of the BJP's efforts to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu. 'They (BJP leaders) have been trying to leverage the worship of Lord Vinayagar (Tamil Nadu's Ganesha) through the Vinayagar Chaturthi festival (also known as Ganesh Chaturthi) for a long time, and for the last couple of years, they have tried to leverage Murugan (Ganesha's brother and god of war and victory). Now, they have taken the Shaivite tradition and Lord Shiva to appease the people of Tamil Nadu and bring everyone under one umbrella as Hindus,' said A. Ramasamy, a political analyst and former head of Tamil department at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University. However, BJP leaders in the state said that it was not about politics and that analysts are misreading intentions. Speaking to ThePrint, the BJP's former Tamil Nadu president, Tamilisai Soundararajan, said that the PM's visit demonstrated that history and legacy matter. 'Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple was a historically important temple, built 1,000 years ago, and the Prime Minister visiting it was a symbol of celebrating the past, and it has nothing to do with politics. By the visit of the Prime Minister to a small district, like Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the city has got the light of the country, and [I] hope it regains its past glory,' she told ThePrint. 'C hola Empire advanced democratic tradition s' Stating that the history and heritage of the Chola Empire proclaim the true potential of India, the PM said, 'The legacy of Raja Raja Chola and Rajendra Chola is synonymous with India's identity and pride.' He also said that it was the Chola Empire, which implemented democratic election practices first, centuries before Britain's Magna Carta came into being. 'While historians speak of Britain's Magna Carta in the context of democracy, the Chola empire had implemented democratic election practices centuries earlier, through the Kudavolai Amaippu system,' he said, adding that the Chola Empire also advanced India's democratic traditions but had often been overlooked in global narratives. Under the Kudavolai Amaippu system, the names of contestants for membership of the village 'Maha Sabhas' were written on palm leaves, with the winner selected by a lucky lot drawn in front of all villagers. The Prime Minister also highlighted a belief that Rajendra Chola I transported Ganga water from North India to South India. 'While many are remembered for acquiring gold, silver, or livestock from other regions, Rajendra Chola is recognised for bringing sacred Ganga water. Rajendra Chola transported Ganga water from North India and established it in the South,' Modi said. The Prime Minister also highlighted the Union government's Kashi Tamil Sangamam and Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam programmes.'The Chola rulers have woven a thread of cultural unity across India. Today, our government is carrying forward the ideals from the Chola era,' the PM said. he also emphasised that the Shaivite philosophy would pave the way for meaningful solutions for several crises. Referring to the teachings of Tirumular, who wrote 'Anbe Sivam', meaning 'Love is Shiva', he said that 'had the world embraced this thought, many crises could resolve on their own'. India, he proclaimed, is currently advancing this philosophy through the motto, 'One world, One Family, One Future'. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Tamil Nadu on mission to get Blue Flag tag for 4 of its beaches. But Marina presents a unique challenge
