Prayer area ‘desecrated’

THE SA Human Rights Commission is looking into allegations of religious intolerance after a Phoenix resident allegedly desecrated his neighbour’s “jhanda” pole and prayer area.

The jhanda is a flag that is dedicated to the Hindu deities Hanuman and Shiva. It is erected at a designated prayer place outside a home.

Shamday Komal, 70, lives on the ground floor of a six-family flat with her 50-year-old daughter.

Komal said a few months ago, her neighbour had complained that leaves from a tree at the prayer place were falling into his property.

“He asked if I could trim the branches of the tree because the leaves were messing his yard. I told him that I would. I am a pensioner and I did not have the money to hire someone. About a week ago, while making breakfast, I heard a chopping noise outside.”

Komal said when she went outside she saw another neighbour standing near her prayer area.

“This neighbour, I believe, hired a man to cut the tree. The man he hired had climbed on to the tree and placed his dirty boots against my jhanda pole.

“As he was cutting the branches, they were falling on to my murthies (statues), destroying them. His weight had also damaged the spike on the jhanda pole and it became skewed.”

She said she told the man to stop what he was doing but he did not listen.

“He told me the neighbour was paying him to do a job. The neighbour began to use vulgarities at me. I felt helpless as I watched my prayer area being desecrated. I have been praying at this spot every day for more than 40 years. I don’t understand why this neighbour got involved in the issue.

“Since the incident, I cannot do anything. I feel depressed. I am not eating. I want my neighbour to be held accountable for what he did. I tried to report the matter to police but was advised to get a peace order from the Verulam Magistrate’s Court, which I have done.”

Komal reported the incident to the SA Hindu Dharma Sabha.

“My neighbour is Christian. This is religious intolerance. If he wanted to trim the tree, he could have done it without destroying my prayer area. We live in a democracy and people need to respect each other.”

Ram Maharaj, the president of the Sabha, said: “The Sabha will not allow any person or entity to denigrate our Hindu religion or culture and trample upon Hindu sensitivities with impunity.

“Religious intolerance cannot be tolerated in our religiously diverse country if we want to live in peaceful co-existence without conflict.”

Maharaj said the matter had been reported to the SAHRC.

“In our complaint to the SAHRC, we have asked them to approach the Equality Court and act appropriately against the neighbour, who is a Christian.

“He has grossly violated the constitutional religious rights of his neighbour, Shamday Komal, by causing the sanctity of her sacred prayer place to be desecrated and defiled. He has also slandered her and Hinduism.”

“The jhanda is of great religious significance to Hindus. When she pleaded for the cutting to be stopped, the neighbour made derogatory and discriminatory utterances with the patent intent of impairing her human dignity and hurting her religious sentiments.”

Pavershree Padayachee, the acting provincial manager of the SAHRC in KwaZulu-Natal, said: “We confirm that a complaint came from the South African Hindu Dharma Sabha relating to this matter.

“The complaint is in the process of being registered and will be dealt with in terms of the commission’s complaints handling procedures.”

The neighbour denied Komal’s allegations. “I come from a Hindu background. I have only been a Christian for the last four years. I understand the importance of the jhanda pole. Another neighbour had paid for the man to cut the tree. He did not desecrate the prayer area or the jhanda pole.”

He also denied using vulgarities at Komal. “I am prepared to defend myself to the SAHRC and the Dharma Sabha if I need to.”

Msawakhe Mayisela, the spokesperson for the eThekwini Municipality, said: “This is municipality property, and for usage one would have to get permission, in accordance with, the by-laws that govern land use management.”