As an argument rages over alleged adulteration of ghee in Tirupati temple laddus, a petition over the alleged use of “unholy and impure halal jaggery” in making ready the “naivedyam” (providing to the deity) on the Sabarimala temple is pending adjudication earlier than the Kerala HC during the last three years.
Petitioner S J R Kumar, an engineer-turned-social employee and common convenor of Sabarimala Karma Samithi, moved the HC in November 2021 after media stories about alleged “unlawful actions” by temple administration “in procuring halal-certified jaggery for preparation of prasadam together with Aravana and Unniyappam at Sabarimala Temple in violation of rituals and customs prevailing within the Hindu neighborhood”.
The jaggery was provided by a Maharashtra-based agency for 2019-20. Aravana, a conventional candy constructed from purple rice, jaggery and ghee, and Unniyappam constructed from rice, jaggery and different substances and fried are the primary choices to the deity.
The plea filed by advocate V Sajith Kumar mentioned: “Firstly, use of spoiled supplies would create well being hazards to harmless devotees. Secondly, use of halal-certified jaggery which is ready as per the non secular practices of one other faith within the temple and providing the identical to the deity would quantity to severe violation of spiritual customs and rituals adopted on the temple from time immemorial…” and “are extremely unlawful and violative of spiritual rights assured below Half III of the Structure.”
On November 17, 2021, an HC bench of Justices Anil Ok Narendran and P G Ajithkumar requested the Sabarimala Particular Commissioner to answer the fees.
The Particular Commissioner submitted that in accordance with stories of the designated officer, meals security particular squad, samples of the collected jaggery inventory had been examined in April 2021 and located to be “passable”. “In September 2021, it was once more examined and located to be infested with bugs and unsafe and the pattern had a foul odour.”
The report identified that the officer had mentioned that the unsafe jaggery “isn’t used for preparation of Aravana and Appam”.
The report additionally mentioned that the shrine administrator Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has taken steps to public sale the “unfit” jaggery by publishing tender notification and Southern Agro Tech Pvt Ltd had emerged because the profitable bidder. On the alleged use of halal-certified jaggery, the report mentioned “it’s true that on the duvet of the mentioned jaggery there’s a writing that it’s halal”, however added that the designated officer, meals security, had “submitted that declaration of halal certificates within the cowl isn’t in opposition to the provisions of FSSA.”
The Particular Commissioner mentioned that the Chief Vigilance Officer had mentioned the producer had acknowledged that for “function of enabling export to some Center East international locations halal declaration is required.” Relating to meals security, Assistant Commissioner of Meals Security, Pathanamthitta district, mentioned there are two high quality checking labs, and consignments are examined at each locations earlier than being launched for making ready prasadam. The TDB counter affidavit mentioned solely “a couple of packets” had the label.
Denying the allegation of impure merchandise, the Maharashtra agency submitted earlier than the courtroom that “on sure packets of jaggery provided by the corporate throughout the contract interval label HALAL JUH/HRC/437/2018 is printed. It occurred as a result of the corporate is exporting jaggery to Arab international locations and halal certification is important… The halal certification is nothing however an assurance of excessive stage of hygiene, cleanliness”.
Calling the allegations made by the petitioner “malicious”, the TDB contended that the petitioner’s “intention was to stall the Aravana and Appam sale in Sabarimala and trigger big monetary losses to the Board. There’s a calculated try to assault the status of Sabarimala and to… destroy the communal concord by varied posts…”
Kumar mentioned this “signifies they’re involved solely in regards to the business curiosity and never severe in regards to the sanctity and purity of Nivedya”.
Kumar mentioned the temple administration “haven’t made accessible the lab check stories of the jaggery provided by” the Maharashtra agency and produced solely lab stories of “current batch of Aravana produced utilizing jaggery procured from” the brand new provider. He additionally questioned the temple authorities for reselling the “unsafe” jaggery by public sale.
TDB had mentioned in its affidavit the “public sale was made clearly mentioning that the inventory isn’t appropriate for preparation of Vazhipadu” and “the prohibition on the market is just for the articles for human consumption or use.”
Kumar mentioned that Southern Agro in its affidavit mentioned {that a} portion of auctioned jaggery was offered to 2 firms in TN, which is contradictory to TDB’s stand that it was purchased for getting used as uncooked materials. Listening to it on November 24, 2023, the HC requested the petitioner on his understanding of “halal”. The matter got here up for listening to a couple of extra instances.
