01-17-2006, 09:01 PM
Letter to Shri Ashok Singhal ji, President, Vishwa Hindu Parishad
Subject: A Temple Seminar void of Hindu religious Leaders betrays its real intent of deception against the Hindu world.
Aadarniya Shri Singhal ji,
We are sending this urgent missive with a request that you may take a serious note of the intent and purposes of the Govt. Organized deceptive International Temple Summit in Mumbai on Jan. 28 & 29, 2006 (attachment A). In our opinion the summit is nothing but a PR and propaganda tool in the arsenal of the congress/UPA Govt. Its fraudulent and deceitful character is further explained by the following factors: a) No recognized Hindu religious leaders have been invited to participate; b) the convener of the summit is a person from Siddhivinayak temple that is already under the Govt. control therefore, in a subordinate position; c) by and large the other major temples under Govt. control have been afforded participation; d) a solitary Temple from Nepal has been invited obviously to justify the claim of the event being international.; e) The Union Minister for tourism Ms. Renuka Chawdhury, a Congress Lok Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh, (a political and not a religious person) will inaugurate the seminar - and temple tourism will be high on the agenda; f) Corporate leaders have been put in the forefront to proclaim secular NGO dimensions of the event .
It wouldnt be unrealistic to assume that the UPA is putting up this façade of a show to avoid the imminent Hindu backlash due to the growing public awareness against the govt. usurpation of temples in association with its deepest appeasement policy towards the minorities. This strategy seems to be invented for grabbing some gullible Hindu votes by appearing to be religious and sensitive towards temples.
They are trying to make people to forget the utter mismanagement of temples under their control. For instance, A) in Karnataka, they are siphoning temple revenues for investing in madrassas, Mosques and Churches, and, B) in Andhra Pradesh, a) they are diverting temple revenues to the state exchequer leaving pujaris to starve, b) sale of endowment lands; c) encouraging illegal occupation of temple lands; d) changing the character and de- Hinduisation of TTD, by allowing churches and facility for Idgaah , e) proposal for a ropeway at TTD against the wishes of Hindu public, f) diverting Hindu funds for non Hindu and non religious purposes, g) implanting the adversary religionists in the temple management, etc
Aadarniya Singhal ji, it is high time that the Govt. is made to understand that a secular state does not operate or manage any religious institutions and Hindu temples must have the same autonomy as allowed to Mosques and Churches. Authorities must understand that the temples are national treasurers built by our forefathers over the centuries, with endowments to sustain them in perpetuity. Such autonomy of temples must be preserved and enhanced. Management and decisions on the sale and use of endowment lands and temple revenues, modifications to shrines and temple towns, etc. must have approval of the community - the legitimate owners
A special note should be taken of the fact that the UPA is pursuing a proposal to takeover all Hindu temples. One wonders if this show is meant to create an environment showing their vision for corporate type secular governance and take over all temples. The seminar will draw corporate bosses, who will hold forth on areas of their expertise. It will be a non-religious seminar on temple management and administration." It is also ironic and disgraceful that while the issue before this Govt. arranged summit is temples, vehicle of discussion is non-religious secularism and the independent Hindu leaders with public recognition are, perhaps on purpose, left out. Without the participation of the religious leaders, this seminar is an exercise in futility and it highlights only the fraudulent character of Governments deceitful policy.
Under the Govt. management the temples are usually under the departments of tourism. The aim of temples is not to attract or please tourists by puja and rituals in order to generate revenues for govt. coffers, but to convey the religious message of Hinduism and the scriptures more or less the same way as they do in Churches and Mosques.
By controlling Hindu temples and their estates the Govt. is depriving Hindus of their fundamental Religious Freedom guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution. According to Article 25 of the Constitution, all persons are equally entitled to the right to profess, practice and propagate religion. While Article 26, provides that every religious denomination "shall 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 law".
The unconstitutional usurpation of temples by the govt. seriously violates the fundamental precept of secularism which dictates the separation of state and religion. Such practice is against the norms of governance of religious institutions in all free and democratic societies. In India this illegal practice is applied to only Hindu shrines. In retrospect it has proved to be an instrument of decimating Hindu religion and culture. We strongly believe that transferring the jurisdiction of temples to an autonomous Hindu community Board would be democratically valid, legally sound and the most appropriate instrument of correcting this highly unjust situation. Such transference would simultaneously provide community based guidance and governance to shrines and temples which in turn would satisfy any public concerns.
Aadarniya Singhal ji, from every stand point it would be prudent to demand Hindu community participation in governance of the endowment departments for assuring proper functioning and utilization of temple resources in the first phase of denationalization be guaranteed. Such transformation could be attained through the composition of an interim Hindu Council to be nominated by the Hindu religious leaders and the community at large.
It is baffling that political organizations of Hindus like BJP and Shiv Sena, while paying lip service for Hindutva, do not raise a finger on this very basic issue of saving Hindu religious infrastructure from demolition. This is an issue that could brighten their political and electoral fortunes.
It may be worth noting that recently Baba Ramdevji was saved only by his courageous stand and support by public and some politicians against a tirade by CPI (M) communist MP, Ms. Brinda Karat and anti- Hindu establishment and thus avoided bad publicity on himself, Ayurveda and Yoga.
Similarly, since the politicians do not care for constitution, law or logic when it comes to dealing with Hindus, we believe that time has come for organizing highly visible and massive demonstrations in Mumbai, outside the venue of the summit and nationwide at state capitols. Bajrang Dal usually protests on St. Valentines Day on February 14, by protesting outside Greeting Card stores, etc. It will be a patriotic act for them and for other dedicated Hindus to demonstrate now against: a) govt. control of temples; b) exclusion of religious leaders from the Seminar; c) the denial of autonomy and liberty to Hindu temples.
The issue may also be brought before the nine spiritual TV channels in the country. Such campaign could be continuous before the seminar and afterwards till the temples are liberated. Every effort has to be made to thwart the bids by unscrupulous politicians to de- Hinduise India. Taking a cue from anti- Hindu forces that harp on post Godhra riots day in and day out, the duplicity of Congress/ UPA must be continuously exposed in encouraging and rewarding jihadists with minority reservations, Hajj subsidy, etc. while suppressing and undercutting the Hindu majority.
At the conclusion we would like to reemphasize that this issue be given the utmost importance and a strong public demand be put forward for a) including the legitimate Hindu leaders and Acharya Sabha in the upcoming Temple Summit; and b) Hindu community participation, through an interim Hindu Council to be set up, to oversee governance of temples and endowments in the first phase of denationalization.
With respectful pranams
Dr. Jagan Kaul January 14, 2006
Krishan Bhatnagar
Hindu Jagran Forum
Maryland, USA
email: krishan.kb@verizon.net<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->
Attachment A
Temple titans in temporal tryst
The Telegraph, January 5, 2006
CHANDRIMA S. BHATTACHARYA
Mumbai, Jan. 4: Almost all famous temples of the country are coming together to conduct for the first time serious worldly business. On January 28 and 29, the temple teams will come together at a new five-star hotel in the city for a seminar, held at the initiative of Mumbais most revered mandir, the Siddhivinayak temple, to discuss corporate governance.
With faith staging an explosive comeback as many as nine spiritual channels are on air in the country now temples feel that it is high time they go in for management tools to run their secular affairs.
To be attended by the biggest temples apart from Siddhivinayak, there will be 20 mandirs, including Tirupati, Vaishnodevi, Guruvayoor, Shirdi, Kedarnath, Badrinath and also Pashupatinath in Nepal the International Temple Summit 2006 will be inaugurated by Union tourism minister Renuka Chowdhury (temple tourism will be high on the agenda).
The seminar will draw corporate bosses, who will hold forth on areas of their expertise It will be non-religious seminar on temple management and administration, says Sanjay Bhagwat, appropriately designated CEO of the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple Trust.
Deepak Parekh, chairman, HDFC Ltd, who confirmed his participation today, will address the seminar on financial management problems.
Ad guru Alyque Padamsee will hold forth on the importance of public relations in temple management.
Financial advice is necessary, says Bhagwat, because temples have a lot of surplus income, and they want the money to be invested judiciously.
At the end of the summit, the participants would be in a position to understand the need and relevance of temple management and administration in todays times. They would also be oriented towards certain tools to effectively manage the administration, says the Powerpoint presentation on the seminar by Bhagwat.
He will also moot the idea of an integrated call centre for all the temples. There will be one toll-free telephone number that will offer information on all temples of India, says Bhagwat. The information on offer will cover puja schedules, location of temples, donations and all matters related to worship. A proposal for an integrated website for all temples will be discussed.
Siddhivinayak has impeccable credentials to take the lead in the corporatisation effort. As far as temples go, it is on the cutting edge of technology, symbolising the rapid strides made in the abodes of the gods in the past few years.
The Mumbai temple, which attracts almost 70,000 devotees on Tuesdays, considered auspicious, including celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, takes immense pride in its webcam service. Ours is the only temple which webcasts the puja live, says Bhagwat.
With two webcams installed in the sanctum sanctorum, devotees can log on to the temple website and see the puja being performed.
On the anvil are online booking though a devotee can already book a puja through e-mail and ISO certification. The idea is not to have a certificate, but to corporatise our financial administration, says Bhagwat. He says that the temple is gearing up for an external audit, though there is some resistance from the traditional-minded staffers.
Security at the temple is hi-tech. Several CCTVs are already installed and a blast-proof wall is being built around the temple. With all the new equipment of CCTVs, metal detectors and baggage scanners, the new security measures have cost Rs 5 crore, says Bhagwat.
The economy of temples has boomed, too, in leaps and bounds. Siddhivinayak is a case in point. The temple says its annual income for 2004-2005 is Rs 17 crore, a sharp rise from last years Rs 12 crore. I dont know about other temples, but in 2001, when I joined, when we counted money twice a week, it used to be around Rs 2 lakh per count. Now it is about Rs 6 lakh per count, twice a week, Bhagwat says.
It must be the other side of software, shopping malls and fat salaries the rising stress that has no worldly cure.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Subject: A Temple Seminar void of Hindu religious Leaders betrays its real intent of deception against the Hindu world.
Aadarniya Shri Singhal ji,
We are sending this urgent missive with a request that you may take a serious note of the intent and purposes of the Govt. Organized deceptive International Temple Summit in Mumbai on Jan. 28 & 29, 2006 (attachment A). In our opinion the summit is nothing but a PR and propaganda tool in the arsenal of the congress/UPA Govt. Its fraudulent and deceitful character is further explained by the following factors: a) No recognized Hindu religious leaders have been invited to participate; b) the convener of the summit is a person from Siddhivinayak temple that is already under the Govt. control therefore, in a subordinate position; c) by and large the other major temples under Govt. control have been afforded participation; d) a solitary Temple from Nepal has been invited obviously to justify the claim of the event being international.; e) The Union Minister for tourism Ms. Renuka Chawdhury, a Congress Lok Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh, (a political and not a religious person) will inaugurate the seminar - and temple tourism will be high on the agenda; f) Corporate leaders have been put in the forefront to proclaim secular NGO dimensions of the event .
It wouldnt be unrealistic to assume that the UPA is putting up this façade of a show to avoid the imminent Hindu backlash due to the growing public awareness against the govt. usurpation of temples in association with its deepest appeasement policy towards the minorities. This strategy seems to be invented for grabbing some gullible Hindu votes by appearing to be religious and sensitive towards temples.
They are trying to make people to forget the utter mismanagement of temples under their control. For instance, A) in Karnataka, they are siphoning temple revenues for investing in madrassas, Mosques and Churches, and, B) in Andhra Pradesh, a) they are diverting temple revenues to the state exchequer leaving pujaris to starve, b) sale of endowment lands; c) encouraging illegal occupation of temple lands; d) changing the character and de- Hinduisation of TTD, by allowing churches and facility for Idgaah , e) proposal for a ropeway at TTD against the wishes of Hindu public, f) diverting Hindu funds for non Hindu and non religious purposes, g) implanting the adversary religionists in the temple management, etc
Aadarniya Singhal ji, it is high time that the Govt. is made to understand that a secular state does not operate or manage any religious institutions and Hindu temples must have the same autonomy as allowed to Mosques and Churches. Authorities must understand that the temples are national treasurers built by our forefathers over the centuries, with endowments to sustain them in perpetuity. Such autonomy of temples must be preserved and enhanced. Management and decisions on the sale and use of endowment lands and temple revenues, modifications to shrines and temple towns, etc. must have approval of the community - the legitimate owners
A special note should be taken of the fact that the UPA is pursuing a proposal to takeover all Hindu temples. One wonders if this show is meant to create an environment showing their vision for corporate type secular governance and take over all temples. The seminar will draw corporate bosses, who will hold forth on areas of their expertise. It will be a non-religious seminar on temple management and administration." It is also ironic and disgraceful that while the issue before this Govt. arranged summit is temples, vehicle of discussion is non-religious secularism and the independent Hindu leaders with public recognition are, perhaps on purpose, left out. Without the participation of the religious leaders, this seminar is an exercise in futility and it highlights only the fraudulent character of Governments deceitful policy.
Under the Govt. management the temples are usually under the departments of tourism. The aim of temples is not to attract or please tourists by puja and rituals in order to generate revenues for govt. coffers, but to convey the religious message of Hinduism and the scriptures more or less the same way as they do in Churches and Mosques.
By controlling Hindu temples and their estates the Govt. is depriving Hindus of their fundamental Religious Freedom guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution. According to Article 25 of the Constitution, all persons are equally entitled to the right to profess, practice and propagate religion. While Article 26, provides that every religious denomination "shall 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 law".
The unconstitutional usurpation of temples by the govt. seriously violates the fundamental precept of secularism which dictates the separation of state and religion. Such practice is against the norms of governance of religious institutions in all free and democratic societies. In India this illegal practice is applied to only Hindu shrines. In retrospect it has proved to be an instrument of decimating Hindu religion and culture. We strongly believe that transferring the jurisdiction of temples to an autonomous Hindu community Board would be democratically valid, legally sound and the most appropriate instrument of correcting this highly unjust situation. Such transference would simultaneously provide community based guidance and governance to shrines and temples which in turn would satisfy any public concerns.
Aadarniya Singhal ji, from every stand point it would be prudent to demand Hindu community participation in governance of the endowment departments for assuring proper functioning and utilization of temple resources in the first phase of denationalization be guaranteed. Such transformation could be attained through the composition of an interim Hindu Council to be nominated by the Hindu religious leaders and the community at large.
It is baffling that political organizations of Hindus like BJP and Shiv Sena, while paying lip service for Hindutva, do not raise a finger on this very basic issue of saving Hindu religious infrastructure from demolition. This is an issue that could brighten their political and electoral fortunes.
It may be worth noting that recently Baba Ramdevji was saved only by his courageous stand and support by public and some politicians against a tirade by CPI (M) communist MP, Ms. Brinda Karat and anti- Hindu establishment and thus avoided bad publicity on himself, Ayurveda and Yoga.
Similarly, since the politicians do not care for constitution, law or logic when it comes to dealing with Hindus, we believe that time has come for organizing highly visible and massive demonstrations in Mumbai, outside the venue of the summit and nationwide at state capitols. Bajrang Dal usually protests on St. Valentines Day on February 14, by protesting outside Greeting Card stores, etc. It will be a patriotic act for them and for other dedicated Hindus to demonstrate now against: a) govt. control of temples; b) exclusion of religious leaders from the Seminar; c) the denial of autonomy and liberty to Hindu temples.
The issue may also be brought before the nine spiritual TV channels in the country. Such campaign could be continuous before the seminar and afterwards till the temples are liberated. Every effort has to be made to thwart the bids by unscrupulous politicians to de- Hinduise India. Taking a cue from anti- Hindu forces that harp on post Godhra riots day in and day out, the duplicity of Congress/ UPA must be continuously exposed in encouraging and rewarding jihadists with minority reservations, Hajj subsidy, etc. while suppressing and undercutting the Hindu majority.
At the conclusion we would like to reemphasize that this issue be given the utmost importance and a strong public demand be put forward for a) including the legitimate Hindu leaders and Acharya Sabha in the upcoming Temple Summit; and b) Hindu community participation, through an interim Hindu Council to be set up, to oversee governance of temples and endowments in the first phase of denationalization.
With respectful pranams
Dr. Jagan Kaul January 14, 2006
Krishan Bhatnagar
Hindu Jagran Forum
Maryland, USA
email: krishan.kb@verizon.net<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->
Attachment A
Temple titans in temporal tryst
The Telegraph, January 5, 2006
CHANDRIMA S. BHATTACHARYA
Mumbai, Jan. 4: Almost all famous temples of the country are coming together to conduct for the first time serious worldly business. On January 28 and 29, the temple teams will come together at a new five-star hotel in the city for a seminar, held at the initiative of Mumbais most revered mandir, the Siddhivinayak temple, to discuss corporate governance.
With faith staging an explosive comeback as many as nine spiritual channels are on air in the country now temples feel that it is high time they go in for management tools to run their secular affairs.
To be attended by the biggest temples apart from Siddhivinayak, there will be 20 mandirs, including Tirupati, Vaishnodevi, Guruvayoor, Shirdi, Kedarnath, Badrinath and also Pashupatinath in Nepal the International Temple Summit 2006 will be inaugurated by Union tourism minister Renuka Chowdhury (temple tourism will be high on the agenda).
The seminar will draw corporate bosses, who will hold forth on areas of their expertise It will be non-religious seminar on temple management and administration, says Sanjay Bhagwat, appropriately designated CEO of the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple Trust.
Deepak Parekh, chairman, HDFC Ltd, who confirmed his participation today, will address the seminar on financial management problems.
Ad guru Alyque Padamsee will hold forth on the importance of public relations in temple management.
Financial advice is necessary, says Bhagwat, because temples have a lot of surplus income, and they want the money to be invested judiciously.
At the end of the summit, the participants would be in a position to understand the need and relevance of temple management and administration in todays times. They would also be oriented towards certain tools to effectively manage the administration, says the Powerpoint presentation on the seminar by Bhagwat.
He will also moot the idea of an integrated call centre for all the temples. There will be one toll-free telephone number that will offer information on all temples of India, says Bhagwat. The information on offer will cover puja schedules, location of temples, donations and all matters related to worship. A proposal for an integrated website for all temples will be discussed.
Siddhivinayak has impeccable credentials to take the lead in the corporatisation effort. As far as temples go, it is on the cutting edge of technology, symbolising the rapid strides made in the abodes of the gods in the past few years.
The Mumbai temple, which attracts almost 70,000 devotees on Tuesdays, considered auspicious, including celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, takes immense pride in its webcam service. Ours is the only temple which webcasts the puja live, says Bhagwat.
With two webcams installed in the sanctum sanctorum, devotees can log on to the temple website and see the puja being performed.
On the anvil are online booking though a devotee can already book a puja through e-mail and ISO certification. The idea is not to have a certificate, but to corporatise our financial administration, says Bhagwat. He says that the temple is gearing up for an external audit, though there is some resistance from the traditional-minded staffers.
Security at the temple is hi-tech. Several CCTVs are already installed and a blast-proof wall is being built around the temple. With all the new equipment of CCTVs, metal detectors and baggage scanners, the new security measures have cost Rs 5 crore, says Bhagwat.
The economy of temples has boomed, too, in leaps and bounds. Siddhivinayak is a case in point. The temple says its annual income for 2004-2005 is Rs 17 crore, a sharp rise from last years Rs 12 crore. I dont know about other temples, but in 2001, when I joined, when we counted money twice a week, it used to be around Rs 2 lakh per count. Now it is about Rs 6 lakh per count, twice a week, Bhagwat says.
It must be the other side of software, shopping malls and fat salaries the rising stress that has no worldly cure.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->