2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Set politics aside in mass burial probe
The BJP, already sceptical of the excavation, launched a fusillade against the government for its 'anti-Hindu' mindset, and demanded that the CM apologise to the people. The opposition is claiming the issue has tarnished the image of the Dharmasthala Manjunatha temple and the powerful Heggade family, and are demanding a background check on the complainant and his 'handlers'. BJP leaders reached the town over the weekend to show support to Rajya Sabha MP and dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade; the Bhattaraka Jain Mutt seers are planning to gather at the temple on August 29. The Congress cannot afford to upset the majority community and will perforce have to align with the conspiracy theorists to prove its credentials.
Yet, the mystery endures. Families are coming forward with complaints of missing girls and suspicious deaths, and activists are seeking a probe into the unidentified bodies buried without due procedure. Forensic experts advise a thorough soil check for human traces. Soil scientists say skeletons disintegrate faster in coastal regions and those buried near rivers could be washed away. The region's acidic laterite soil corrodes bones, so material evidence may not be easily found if exhumed after decades. With investigations on hold until the SIT gives its report, which could take months, the police could begin a parallel probe into the latest complaints. If indeed the hilly town holds some dark secrets, political and religious affiliations should be set aside in the quest for justice. The truth can never be buried for long.
