Amid right-wing protests, Shani Shingnapur Temple Trust in Maharashtra sacks 167 employees, including 114 Muslims

Indian Express

13 hours ago

The Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan Trust, which manages the Shani Shingnapur shrine in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district, has dismissed 167 employees, including 114 Muslims, citing disciplinary issues such as prolonged absenteeism and non-performance. The move comes in the backdrop of protests by right-wing organisations and NCP's Ahmednagar City MLA Sangram Jagtap, who had threatened to launch an agitation on Saturday against the trust's hiring of Muslim employees.
'The Trust was established in 1963. As per its regulations, trustees have the authority to hire and dismiss members. In today's meeting, 167 individuals were removed due to reasons such as absenteeism, misconduct, and other similar violations for which appropriate action has been taken. India is a democracy, and we uphold secular values. Some of the employees who have been dismissed are Muslims,' said Appasaheb Shete, secretary of the Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan Trust.
The decision has shocked many of the dismissed employees. 'This has come as a shock to those who have been fired. They are all poor people. They do not work inside the main temple but are engaged in various projects run by the trust, including the gaushala. Losing jobs throws our future into uncertainty,' said one of the dismissed employees.
The Shani Shingnapur Temple is a revered shrine dedicated to Lord Shani and attracts devotees from across the country, especially on Saturdays. The deity is worshipped in the form of a 5.5-foot black stone placed on an open platform under the sky, symbolising god's omnipresence and transparency. There is no traditional temple structure or roof over the idol.
Shani Shingnapur is famously known as the village where houses have no doors or locks. It is widely believed that Lord Shani protects the village from theft and crime. The temple plays a significant role in the local economy, supporting businesses related to religious tourism.
The temple's trust, which was established in 1963, employs over 2,400 staff to manage day-to-day operations, maintenance, and the upkeep of temple properties, including gardens, gaushalas and agricultural land. However, controversy erupted after right-wing groups objected to the trust recruiting Muslim employees.
On May 21, right-wing groups staged a protest after Muslim workers were seen installing a grill on the sacred platform of the temple. This incident led to growing calls for the removal of Muslim workers from temple-related work. The agitation escalated, with demands that all Muslim employees be dismissed.
Right-wing Hindu groups, along with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Sangram Jagtap, questioned the hiring of Muslim employees and announced a protest march on Saturday. 'Shani Shingnapur Devasthan is a temple of the Hindu faith. A total of 118 Muslim employees have been recruited at this temple. This is not appropriate. In protest, a Hindu Dharma Protection March has been organised on Saturday. Hindu citizens are urged to participate in this march,' Jagtap said earlier this week.
Following this, the trust convened a meeting on Friday, where it was decided to dismiss all employees cited for irregular attendance since January. In an earlier meeting held on June 8, 99 employees were identified. A further 68 employees were named for dismissal in Friday's meeting. 'Due to frequent absenteeism and negligence in work, 167 employees have been dismissed from service,' said Bhagwat Bankar, president of the trust.