Ganesha temple land encroached by Panchayat led by Muslim League to construct toilet

Case Summary
In Kerala's Vadakara Orchateri, protests erupted after the local panchayat encroached on land belonging to the Orkattery Ganapati temple. The panchayat, led by the Muslim League with support from the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP), added the temple land to its asset register through questionable means. Devotees stated the move was intended to reclassify the land as government property to construct a public toilet. In 2023, the panchayat initially attempted to take over the land, but the devotees resisted. Later, the land was reportedly acquired using forged documents, allegedly involving the then-temple management committee. Despite asserting ownership, the panchayat could not provide legal proof to back its claims. Documents from the Kozhikode archives confirmed that the disputed land belonged to the Ganapati temple. Despite this evidence and ongoing legal proceedings, the panchayat persisted with plans to construct the toilet on the temple premises, disregarding alternative locations. The situation caused significant unrest among devotees, who viewed the actions as an affront to their religious sentiments.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Attack on Hindu religious representations and under this, the sub-category selected is- Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/ land near temple. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Not only the Temple but the Temple premises in its entirety are considered sacred by Hindus. In several cases, the premises of the Temple and/or religious centre are illicitly taken over by institutions belonging to other faiths – like the Waqf board or the Church. Other times, the temple property, land or the property of religious centres are illicitly encroached by non-Hindu groups. Any illicit take over or encroachment is a crime an initio, however, when non-Hindu groups illicitly take over or encroach the sacred land of Hindus, it is an affront to the Hindu community and is therefore classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. This case qualifies as a religiously motivated crime under the aforementioned category, specifically the sub-category 'Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/land near temple', due to the deliberate and unlawful actions of the panchayat to seize land that rightfully belongs to the Orkattery Ganapati temple. The panchayat’s attempts to reclassify this temple land as government property—using forged documents and disregarding legal evidence confirming the temple’s ownership—constitute a direct violation of the religious rights and identity of the Hindu community. Additionally, the decision to construct a public toilet on the temple premises demonstrates blatant disrespect and is a grave affront to the religious sentiments of Hindu devotees. Such actions against a Hindu place of worship are discriminatory, infringe upon the rights of Hindus, and reflect underlying animosity and prejudice against Hindu beliefs, making this a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime.

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Perpetrators
State and Establishment
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