04-28-2005, 02:56 PM
Will Hindus be allowed to manage churches and masjids on this basis, in the la la kingdom of "secularism"?
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kerala Court Rules Marxists Have Right To Manage Temples
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050422/asp/...ory_4644809.asp
KERALA, INDIA, April 21, 2005: The Supreme Court here ruled that
managing temples <b>"primarily is a secular act." </b>The ruling came on a
petition seeking to exclude "Hindu" ministers of the erstwhile Left
Front (Marxist) government in Kerala from the managing committee of the Guruvayoor temple, one of the richest shrines in the state. The court today said a state government has the power to supervise the administration of a temple by nominating members to the managing committee.
The petition said the ministers could not be described as "Hindus" within the meaning of the Guruvayoor Devaswom Act as <b>they have disowned their religion when they became party members.</b> However, a division bench of Justices H.K. Sema and S.B. Sinha said that "to debar all 'Hindu' ministers of (a) Leftist government from nominating members to the managing committee of the Guruvayoor Devaswom will lead to a stalemate in the management of the temple." The bench clarified that "management of a temple primarily is a secular act" and hence, "undisputedly, the state has the requisite jurisdiction to oversee administration of a temple."
The petitioners--the president of the temple protection committee and a VHP leader--had challenged a Kerala High court judgement on the grounds that the ministers owed allegiance to the Marxist ideology and were against any religious practice. Justice Sinha, writing the judgment for the bench, said: "A Hindu admittedly may or may not be a person professing Hindu religion or a believer in temple worship. A HIndu has a right to choose his own method of worship. Idol worship, rituals and/or ceremonies may not be practiced by a person although he may profess Hindu religion." "To insist on such a qualification in the electorate will be as bad as saying that <b>when the law relating to a temple is under consideration in the legislature, only Hindu legislators can vote and they must further be qualified as believers in temple worship</b>," Justice Sinha said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Kerala Court Rules Marxists Have Right To Manage Temples
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050422/asp/...ory_4644809.asp
KERALA, INDIA, April 21, 2005: The Supreme Court here ruled that
managing temples <b>"primarily is a secular act." </b>The ruling came on a
petition seeking to exclude "Hindu" ministers of the erstwhile Left
Front (Marxist) government in Kerala from the managing committee of the Guruvayoor temple, one of the richest shrines in the state. The court today said a state government has the power to supervise the administration of a temple by nominating members to the managing committee.
The petition said the ministers could not be described as "Hindus" within the meaning of the Guruvayoor Devaswom Act as <b>they have disowned their religion when they became party members.</b> However, a division bench of Justices H.K. Sema and S.B. Sinha said that "to debar all 'Hindu' ministers of (a) Leftist government from nominating members to the managing committee of the Guruvayoor Devaswom will lead to a stalemate in the management of the temple." The bench clarified that "management of a temple primarily is a secular act" and hence, "undisputedly, the state has the requisite jurisdiction to oversee administration of a temple."
The petitioners--the president of the temple protection committee and a VHP leader--had challenged a Kerala High court judgement on the grounds that the ministers owed allegiance to the Marxist ideology and were against any religious practice. Justice Sinha, writing the judgment for the bench, said: "A Hindu admittedly may or may not be a person professing Hindu religion or a believer in temple worship. A HIndu has a right to choose his own method of worship. Idol worship, rituals and/or ceremonies may not be practiced by a person although he may profess Hindu religion." "To insist on such a qualification in the electorate will be as bad as saying that <b>when the law relating to a temple is under consideration in the legislature, only Hindu legislators can vote and they must further be qualified as believers in temple worship</b>," Justice Sinha said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->