Getting the Gods to move

Religion is said to be the opium for masses. I don’t know who said that, but I am sure one can today add that today religion also makes good business sense. The number of religious structures along the roadside in our country is going up by the day.

The strategy is simple, spot a vacant piece of land, plonk a flag or two there and voila in no time a structure will come up. A temple, a chilla or even a small church. No sanction from municipal authorities, no permission for building a structure, no application for electricity, nothing. Yet you have a full-fledged building in place. Try and remove it, an all hell will break loose.

These structures, in many cases are sponsored by people who fear that they might have to give away their property to the government if an activity like road widening takes place. As the roads in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad get a makeover, these structures often become an impediment an often end up in the middle of the road. But now, authorities at Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad are finally getting the Gods to move. With baits like monetary inducements, land allotments, permission to build shops and bit of cajoling, MCH has managed to get the people and the trusts that control these spots to move aside.

That’s good news for the citizens of the city who had to put up with this kind of nonsense for a long time. It’s time the authorities and courts step and insist on these places of worship, no matter which religion they belong to have permission from the concerned authorities for the construction they are undertaking. I am sure even the Gods won’t mind this.