Uneasy calm around Secunderabad temple as police maintain strict vigil

File photo of the Muthyalamma temple in Scunderabad.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

The street in Kummariguda in Secunderabad that is usually abuzz with zipping two-wheelers, children playing on the street, and the calls of hawkers selling vegetables is now filled with policemen in uniform sitting and watching their cellphones, doing small talk or sipping sweet chai.

“The man who vandalised the temple is an outsider, the people who raised tension in the area are outsiders. We are the victims. My business is has been affected by this long closure,” says Swamy who managed to open his newspaper scrap shop after a week. “Two days ago, there was no tension and I was planning to open the shop when there was a big protest and I had to give up my plan. I just hope there is no more tension,” says the trader who has been running his shop for the past 13 years.

It was on October 14, that a person from Mumbra near Mumbai identified as Salman Salim Thakur entered the Muthyalamma temple in the early hours and vandalised the idol. A CCTV video footage showed exactly what transpired inside the temple leading to tension and mobilisation. A series of political leaders have been making their way to the small temple reached by narrow lanes. On Tuesday, workers were busy breaking the flooring of the temple to make way for a new flooring. “Only the flooring is being changed. Rest of the temple is not going to be touched,” said the site supervisor measuring the floor space while other workers carted debris from inside the temple and heaped it outside.

The government primary school in the area is now playing a double role. “Some children are coming to study in the school and rest of the time it is being used to serve food to the police staff on bandobust duty,” informed a catering assistant on the school premises.

The entrance of the street is lined with shops of bike mechanics but only one is open. “I opened it today but I have no customer. The street is blocked from everywhere. The presence of police is keeping everyone away. The residents are unable to move freely. I hope the tension ends soon and we are back to normalcy,” said Nagaraju, who opened the workshop and was simonising a 100-cc motorcycle.