Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) temple which is famous for getting one’s hair shaved as an offering to lord vishnu was recently in news again for hair being smuggled from the temple. The issue of the consignment of Mundan’s hair caught two months ago on the India and Myanmar border has brought the politics of Andhra Pradesh to a halt and now the smuggling of hair is also being discussed among the devotees. The cost of caught hair is estimated to be around Rs 1.8 crore.
Usually gold and wild animals are smuggled into this area. But for the first time, the security forces received 120 bags full of human hair and each bag had about fifty kilograms of hair which leads to many questions i.e. what did the authorities do after trafficking was detected and also why a case has been filed in Tirumala against some social media accounts and a TV channel?
In India, the head hair is most commonly donated in Tirupati temple. On an average, fifty thousand devotees come here every day to visit.
According to market watchers, 70 percent of the wig making business is held by China. Head hair markets are worldwide and Raw material for wig trade goes from India itself. According to officials, these hair wigs are made in China and then they are sent to markets all over the world.
TTD earned Rs 131 crore from hair in the financial year 2020-21. The annual budget of TTD is about three thousand crore rupees and according to official figures, in addition to the sale of tickets to TTD, Mundan also gets good income from the sale of hair.
What is the dispute?
TTD has been mired in many controversies for the last two years. Now this new controversy over Mundan’s hair has increased the controversy further. The opposition Telugu Desam Party says that TTD officials should take the responsibility of capturing Mundan’s hair from the border of Myanmar.
Why complaint was raised against TDP Party by TTD?
TTD initially said that once the contract has been awarded in the auction, they do not know where the hair is sold. But later TTD has said that if the names of smuggling companies are known, they will be blacklisted. Simultaneously, claims are being made on social media that hair is smuggled through TTD. The Vigilance Department of Andhra Pradesh has also taken cognizance of complaints in this regard.
Tirupati Police has filed a case on the complaint of TTD. Police Officer B.V. Siva Prasad Reddy told the BBC that TTD has said in its complaint that the post being written against it on Facebook is bringing disrepute.
The police have registered a case against the TDP party. Apart from this, many people have also been nominated. It has also been said in the complaint that such news has been aired in Andhra Jyoti channel too.
According to the police, Andhra Jyoti’s name has also been included in the FIR. Police says, “Only after investigation, it will be known whose role in this case.”
The CPM leader and the leaders of the TTD Contract Employees Union say that the link between TTD’s income reduction and trafficking should be discovered as the TTD should have earned at least one thousand crores from the sale of hair. But the income has not increased since the last 12 years. Decreased Illegal smuggling of hair from income and TTD should be investigated. The government should announce a detailed investigation so that all the facts are revealed.
Also, read our Blog on “THE CONTROVERSIAL CASE OF NIKE AND THE DEVILISH SHOES WITH HUMAN BLOOD”.Click here.