Kerala temple fire: ‘Getting threats’ says woman who complained against temple fireworks

Watch: Video Of Temple Fire In Kollam, Kerala (Click here)

“They talked in a threatening manner. Apart from that, another person, supposed to be associated with the temple trust, turned up at the house and spoke abusively to me,’’ she said.

A portion of Pankajakshi’s single-storey house was damaged in Sunday’s tragedy. The temple management had ignored her repeated pleas to stop the fireworks show for over four years.

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“The house was built four years ago. In the first year itself, the building was damaged and doors had been broken in the fireworks display…We used to move away from the house during the time of the fireworks display every year. This time also, we were not at the house and we were staying at another house, owned by us,” Prakash told PTI.

Pankajakshi said that people in the area never joined the issue due to a superstition that complaining against the fireworks display would invite the wrath of the goddess.

But this year, the family had decided to escalate the matter to the district officials.

“I had complained to the district collector on April 1 against the fireworks show as it had damaged my house near the temple. Besides, the huge noise created by the show, which lasted several hours, had been causing health problems for us. I am a heart patient. Every year, during the festival, I have to move away from my house, which is only 25-metre away from the temple,’’ said Pankajakshi.

Though, revenue officials had visited them to verify the complaint and informed them that there was a stay on the display, it was, however, held.

As an inconsolable Pankajakshi, who is now living with her daughter and son-in-law, assessed the damage caused to her house, she vowed to continue her fight and take all legal steps to ensure a total ban on the fireworks display.

— WITH PTI INPUTS