08-19-2005, 12:45 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Government control of temples is finishing Hinduism</b>
By J.G. Arora -- Authorâs e-mail address : jgarora@vsnl.net
The Free Press Journal, Mumbai: August 11, 2005
One of the most critical issues tormenting Hindu society today is the outrageous government control of all prominent Hindu temples all over India.
It is perplexing that though India is a Secular Republic and though secularism commands separation of State and Religion, many State governments have taken over prominent Hindu temples and shrines which is an anti-secular act.
And the governments have targeted only Hindu temples for government control whereas no Christian church or Muslim mosque has been touched.
This is not to suggest that churches and mosques should be taken over by the State. This is just to stress that since secularism implies separation of State and Religion, Hindu temples and shrines should also enjoy same freedom from government control as enjoyed by churches and mosques.
It is also shocking that the state governments are not applying temple income for the cause of Hindu religion. Rather, the State takeover has resulted in diversion of temple funds for non-religious purposes, and as in Karnataka, even for Madrassas and Churches. State takeover has also resulted in mismanagement and defalcation of temple funds, closure of many smaller temples, encroachments, sale and alienation of temple lands, and dismantling of temple infra-structure which is leading to gradual demolition of Hindu religion.
<b>Anti-secular and discriminatory</b>
Government control of Hindu temples and shrines is anti-secular and anti-Hindu. It amounts to suppression of Hindusâ right of religious freedom guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India. Besides, it is discriminatory since only Hindu temples have been targeted for government control.
Because of government takeover, persons with no devotion and no knowledge about Hinduism, and even non-Hindus are governing Hindu temples.
Though as per Article 25 of the Constitution of India, all persons are equally entitled to the right to profess, practice and propagate religion, and though as per Article 26, every religious denomination âshall have the right (a) to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes; (b) to manage its own affairs in matters of religion; © to own acquire movable and immovable property; and (d) to administer such property in accordance with lawâ, various state governments are controlling all prominent Hindu temples and their estates thereby depriving Hindu community of its Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of Indian Constitution.
Devastation of religious infrastructure
As mentioned below, State control of Hindu temples is demolishing Hindu religious infrastructure.
Though the government is a Trustee, and not the owner of temple lands, the Andhra Pradesh government keeps on selling, transferring, gifting and alienating temple-owned lands under different pretexts though it has no right to sell, lease, gift or otherwise alienate the same.
Sale of Temple land is the biggest business in Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from planning to transfer thousands of acres of land belonging to Simhadri Narasimha Swami temple, Simhachalam in Vishakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh government has decided to sell 100,000 acres of lands belonging to various other temples.
Though the Church is the largest real-estate owner in the country, next only to the government, no government has brought any Church land in its control. But Government assumes âownershipâ of Hindu temple land and barters it for vote-bank politics.
The temple land scam which recently shook Andhra Pradesh is a sad commentary on the motives behind state control of Hindu shrines. 245 acres of prime land belonging to the Seetharama Chandra Swamy temple at Devarayamjal in Shaikpet mandal was sold at throwaway prices causing irreparable loss to the temple.
In Bhadrachalam, 12 acres of lands belonging to the Sri Rama Mandiram was given away to a Christian organization and resulted in the construction of a church.
In Karnataka, major portion of the offerings made by devotees are not spent either on Hindu temples or for the cause of Hindu religion. Rather, temple funds are being utilized to promote other religions. As reported in a section of the press, for the years 1997-98 to 2002-2003 for which figures are available, major portion of temple revenue in Karnataka was allocated to Madrassas, mosques and churches; whereas temples got only a little amount.
In adjacent Kerala, situation is equally reprehensible where state control has rendered innumerable temples dysfunctional. Besides, under the Kerala Land Reforms Act, over 12,000 acres of Guruvayoor templeâs land has been reduced to 230 acres only.
In Orissa the state government is planning to sell about 70,000 acres of Jagannath temple endowment lands due to financial difficulties arising due to governmentâs mismanagement of temples.
And in Rajasthan, instead of handing over temples to Hindu community, the state government is planning to lease some Hindu temples under the slogan âApna Dham, Apna Kam, Apna Namâ to private parties on build-operate and transfer basis.
In Jammu and Kashmir, even Mata Vaishno Devi Temple University created with the funds of Vaishno Devi Temple does not include Hindu religious studies in its curriculum.
<b>Shackling Hindu faith </b>
Government control over Hindu temples has crippled the cultural, social and spiritual life of Hindus.
Though a secular state can neither penalise nor patronise religions, shackling Hindu religion through state control of well-known temples continues all over India.
While the Indian government subsidizes âHajâ pilgrimage with hundreds of crores of rupees every year, the state governments are destroying the self-supporting edifice of Hindu places of worship with unwarranted state control.
Apart from being the centre of Hindu communityâs religious, social and cultural life, temple is supposed to be the focal point for learning Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata and Tirukkural etc. from religious scholars. Government control over important temples is also responsible for gradual disappearance of Vedic learning and Sanskrit.
It is because of government control over Hindu temples that recently Kanchi Shankracharya was humiliated and refused entry in the sanctum sanctorum of Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi Kothanda Ramar temple by the officials of Tamil Nadu government.
<b>Dangerous dimensions</b>
As reported in a section of the press, Andhra Pradesh government has brought Christian institutions into the decision making body of the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) and its institutions. This is highly objectionable.
Recently, AP government ensured the entry of JRG Wealth Management Limited, an organisation owned by a Christian into the decision making and procurement process of Prasadam materials for use in Tirupati temple.
And government controlled temple management has also brought a tie-up of the TTD owned Sri Venkateshwara Institute of Medical Sciences with a Christian missionary hospital.
And there are apprehensions of evangelistsâ design to build a Church at Tirumala.
<b>Hindus can manage their temples</b>
Only decontrol and restoration of Hindu temples and shrines to the Hindu communityâs management and control can give justice to Hindus.
Since temples belong to Hindu society which has built and maintained them over the centuries, the same should be handed back to Hindu community.
Like other religious communities, Hindus too have a legal and constitutional right to manage their temples, shrines and institutions. And they themselves can manage their temples.
Independent Boards comprising exclusively of Hindus must govern Hindu temples and shrines as is the case with places of worship of other religious communities. And temple revenue should be used for propagation of Hindu religion and upliftment of Hindus.
Let not greed of a few individuals and suicidal Hindu tolerance of gross injustice be allowed to destroy Hinduism in India the way Hinduism has already been destroyed in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh which too used to be Hindu lands.
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By J.G. Arora -- Authorâs e-mail address : jgarora@vsnl.net
The Free Press Journal, Mumbai: August 11, 2005
One of the most critical issues tormenting Hindu society today is the outrageous government control of all prominent Hindu temples all over India.
It is perplexing that though India is a Secular Republic and though secularism commands separation of State and Religion, many State governments have taken over prominent Hindu temples and shrines which is an anti-secular act.
And the governments have targeted only Hindu temples for government control whereas no Christian church or Muslim mosque has been touched.
This is not to suggest that churches and mosques should be taken over by the State. This is just to stress that since secularism implies separation of State and Religion, Hindu temples and shrines should also enjoy same freedom from government control as enjoyed by churches and mosques.
It is also shocking that the state governments are not applying temple income for the cause of Hindu religion. Rather, the State takeover has resulted in diversion of temple funds for non-religious purposes, and as in Karnataka, even for Madrassas and Churches. State takeover has also resulted in mismanagement and defalcation of temple funds, closure of many smaller temples, encroachments, sale and alienation of temple lands, and dismantling of temple infra-structure which is leading to gradual demolition of Hindu religion.
<b>Anti-secular and discriminatory</b>
Government control of Hindu temples and shrines is anti-secular and anti-Hindu. It amounts to suppression of Hindusâ right of religious freedom guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India. Besides, it is discriminatory since only Hindu temples have been targeted for government control.
Because of government takeover, persons with no devotion and no knowledge about Hinduism, and even non-Hindus are governing Hindu temples.
Though as per Article 25 of the Constitution of India, all persons are equally entitled to the right to profess, practice and propagate religion, and though as per Article 26, every religious denomination âshall have the right (a) to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes; (b) to manage its own affairs in matters of religion; © to own acquire movable and immovable property; and (d) to administer such property in accordance with lawâ, various state governments are controlling all prominent Hindu temples and their estates thereby depriving Hindu community of its Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of Indian Constitution.
Devastation of religious infrastructure
As mentioned below, State control of Hindu temples is demolishing Hindu religious infrastructure.
Though the government is a Trustee, and not the owner of temple lands, the Andhra Pradesh government keeps on selling, transferring, gifting and alienating temple-owned lands under different pretexts though it has no right to sell, lease, gift or otherwise alienate the same.
Sale of Temple land is the biggest business in Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from planning to transfer thousands of acres of land belonging to Simhadri Narasimha Swami temple, Simhachalam in Vishakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh government has decided to sell 100,000 acres of lands belonging to various other temples.
Though the Church is the largest real-estate owner in the country, next only to the government, no government has brought any Church land in its control. But Government assumes âownershipâ of Hindu temple land and barters it for vote-bank politics.
The temple land scam which recently shook Andhra Pradesh is a sad commentary on the motives behind state control of Hindu shrines. 245 acres of prime land belonging to the Seetharama Chandra Swamy temple at Devarayamjal in Shaikpet mandal was sold at throwaway prices causing irreparable loss to the temple.
In Bhadrachalam, 12 acres of lands belonging to the Sri Rama Mandiram was given away to a Christian organization and resulted in the construction of a church.
In Karnataka, major portion of the offerings made by devotees are not spent either on Hindu temples or for the cause of Hindu religion. Rather, temple funds are being utilized to promote other religions. As reported in a section of the press, for the years 1997-98 to 2002-2003 for which figures are available, major portion of temple revenue in Karnataka was allocated to Madrassas, mosques and churches; whereas temples got only a little amount.
In adjacent Kerala, situation is equally reprehensible where state control has rendered innumerable temples dysfunctional. Besides, under the Kerala Land Reforms Act, over 12,000 acres of Guruvayoor templeâs land has been reduced to 230 acres only.
In Orissa the state government is planning to sell about 70,000 acres of Jagannath temple endowment lands due to financial difficulties arising due to governmentâs mismanagement of temples.
And in Rajasthan, instead of handing over temples to Hindu community, the state government is planning to lease some Hindu temples under the slogan âApna Dham, Apna Kam, Apna Namâ to private parties on build-operate and transfer basis.
In Jammu and Kashmir, even Mata Vaishno Devi Temple University created with the funds of Vaishno Devi Temple does not include Hindu religious studies in its curriculum.
<b>Shackling Hindu faith </b>
Government control over Hindu temples has crippled the cultural, social and spiritual life of Hindus.
Though a secular state can neither penalise nor patronise religions, shackling Hindu religion through state control of well-known temples continues all over India.
While the Indian government subsidizes âHajâ pilgrimage with hundreds of crores of rupees every year, the state governments are destroying the self-supporting edifice of Hindu places of worship with unwarranted state control.
Apart from being the centre of Hindu communityâs religious, social and cultural life, temple is supposed to be the focal point for learning Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata and Tirukkural etc. from religious scholars. Government control over important temples is also responsible for gradual disappearance of Vedic learning and Sanskrit.
It is because of government control over Hindu temples that recently Kanchi Shankracharya was humiliated and refused entry in the sanctum sanctorum of Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram and Dhanuskodi Kothanda Ramar temple by the officials of Tamil Nadu government.
<b>Dangerous dimensions</b>
As reported in a section of the press, Andhra Pradesh government has brought Christian institutions into the decision making body of the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) and its institutions. This is highly objectionable.
Recently, AP government ensured the entry of JRG Wealth Management Limited, an organisation owned by a Christian into the decision making and procurement process of Prasadam materials for use in Tirupati temple.
And government controlled temple management has also brought a tie-up of the TTD owned Sri Venkateshwara Institute of Medical Sciences with a Christian missionary hospital.
And there are apprehensions of evangelistsâ design to build a Church at Tirumala.
<b>Hindus can manage their temples</b>
Only decontrol and restoration of Hindu temples and shrines to the Hindu communityâs management and control can give justice to Hindus.
Since temples belong to Hindu society which has built and maintained them over the centuries, the same should be handed back to Hindu community.
Like other religious communities, Hindus too have a legal and constitutional right to manage their temples, shrines and institutions. And they themselves can manage their temples.
Independent Boards comprising exclusively of Hindus must govern Hindu temples and shrines as is the case with places of worship of other religious communities. And temple revenue should be used for propagation of Hindu religion and upliftment of Hindus.
Let not greed of a few individuals and suicidal Hindu tolerance of gross injustice be allowed to destroy Hinduism in India the way Hinduism has already been destroyed in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh which too used to be Hindu lands.
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