New Delhi: A Muslim-born Bharatanatyam dancer, Mansiya VP, has claimed that she was barred from performing at Koodalmanikyam temple in Kerala's Thrissur for an upcoming 10-day temple cultural festival when over 800 artists take part in the event. Responding to the issue, former health minister KK Shailaja said that not being allowed to perform on a religious basis is a "matter of concern".
Former Kerala health minister KK Shailaja condemned and said that an artist being barred from a cultural festival on basis of religion is a matter of concern. "If a situation arises that man can live only on the basis of any religion, the land will witness religious rigor and communalism. We wanted the country to grow towards secular friendship," she said in her Facebook post.
"That is why it was written in the constitution that India will be a secular country when the country becomes independent. The freedom fighters thought that we are all Indian citizens irrespective of the differences in religious customs and traditions and that the sustainability of the country could only be ensured by maintaining mutual love and acceptance. But it is a scary fact that today a section of people are encouraging religious-centered thinking and Indian rulers are supporting it," she further said in her post.
The temple is under the state government-controlled Devaswom board, an Indian Express report said. In a Facebook post, Mansiya said, "My performance was slated for 4-5 PM on April 21 but one of the temple office-bearers called and informed me that I am not allowed to perform as I am a Non-Hindu. All stages are allotted based on religion, not considering whether you are a good dancer or not. In the meantime, I have also been facing queries about whether I got converted into a Hindu after marriage. (She had married musician Shyam Kalyan). I have no religion and where should I go."
The Bharatanatyam exponent was earlier ostracised by Muslim clerics for being a performing artiste of the dance form despite being born a Muslim.
And she further said in her Facebook post that this is not the first time she has been facing the ax. She alleged that she was not allowed to perform at Guruvayoor Krishna temple. "Art and artists continue to be knotted with religion and caste. When it is forbidden to one religion, it becomes the monopoly of another religion. This experience is not new to me. I am recording it here (on Facebook) only to remind that nothing has changed in our secular Kerala," she said in her Facebook post.
When Indian Express has contacted the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom (temple) Board chairman Pradeep Menon said as per the existing tradition of the temple, only Hindus can perform within the compound of the temple.