Event: Seminar on Autonomy for Hindu Temples
Namma Devasthana together with Jijnasa CESS, Dharmic Action and Temple Worshippers Society (Chennai) is organizing a seminar on “Autonomy for Hindu Temples” on Saturday, 20 June 2015 in Bangalore. IndiaFacts Research Centre is the media partner for the event. It is well known that major temples in South India are under the control of the Government. However, what is lesser known is how exactly this control is exercised or how the funds collected are used and towards what purpose.
While the Indian constitution in its preamble says that India is a secular republic, in practice, control has been exercised only on Hindu institutions and in a highly bureaucratic and deleterious way. Much of the revenue from temples is put into the State’s coffers and, of that, only a small fraction goes into the upkeep of the temples with the major chunk going to the same bureaucracy, which actively stifles the functioning of the temple as a living ecosystem.
This seminar examines some policy options such as autonomy and governance from a current temple administrator’s perspective as well as from a historical perspective. It also discusses how the legal institutions have interpreted the constitution and the unfavourable environment in which Hindu institutions function currently. The seminar will also examine how in spite of such serious difficulties, many efforts are underway to restore temples as an active ecosystem.
Finally, the seminar discusses how the RTI Act provisions can be used to obtain basic information of the current functioning of temples and how a concerned citizen can get involved. The seminar closes with an inspirational documentary about how a dilapidated temple was restored in Tamil Nadu by harnessing the initiatives and energies of many concerned citizens and organizations. The seminar is free and open to all. Details are in the brochure below.
To register for the seminar, please click on this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/
Its unfortunate that morons are replying to me with non-sense. One moron says govt spoiled Air India, KEB etc and hence it should not take care of temples. Another moron thinks he is a judge and just says Cho is wrong. Another super moron is just jealous about other religions, instead of worrying about who will run temples in better dharmic way.
All I say is, many hindus think that hindus cannot manage our temples any better than govt, and there will be only litigations, chaos and distrust left with us. Many hindus think that since the govt is also run by 90% hindus, it itself shows that private hindus are incapable of managing our religious places and adharmic people can be as much in private management as in govt board. Unless this concern is addressed, there will not be public support for autonomy of temples. Without public support, you will not get autonomy ever. So, you intellectuals, please address this. Don’t worry about other religions and other govt departments. Everyone agrees on bias and mismanagement by govt, but thats not the point.
Anyway, the temples were managed by temple trusts before 1951. The Govt took control to usurp the wealth.Why didn’t the secular government touch the churches and mosques?
1. Mujrai dept/Govt taking over temples is good, why are you protesting??
Government took over Air India too from Tata & Sons. What is the state of Air-India Now. Look at our Navaratnas/PSUs, is any one of them
a world class institution. Look at HMT, they now make 5 Watches per day.
The Government is yet to prove that it can administrate properly even a single institution.
What is the the collective citizen experience of Government Departments like BBMP, BDA, KEB etc. These are the most corrupt organizations. Many of us have paid bribes to get our properties registered. Whether people live in villages or cities it is the same experience.
The same Babudom which ran down many Institutions to ground runs Mujrai Department/Endowments Department. The same disease of inefficiency and corruption inflicts the Mujrai Department.
Placing trust in them that they mean well is totally misplaced and will be lethal to the Hindu community.
25,000 Acres Encorached in Malabar Alone.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/recovery-of-temple-lands-bogged-down/article744310.ece
2. Whose Responsibility is it to Run Temples?
Hindus themselves, It is Either the Hindu mutts or an Administrative Body formed by Hindus that should run temples.
Hindus should play a participative role, Don’t expect to be spoon fed. It is our community, we had to do the hard work.
3. Many temples don’t even light a lamp if there is no Mujrai department?
If there is an Administrative body, let us call it Dharma Parishad, it will take care of all the temples. At the same time the Hindu community has to be participative in the administration process.
After the Mujrai Department came into existence, many Bhakt Mandals have vanished, temple communities scattered. So Mujrai department in itself has created the problem of neglect of temples.
Muslims run their Mosques, Christians run their Churches. Are Hindus Incapabale.??
4. Who will Monitor Private Trusts??
Govt can lay down general rules for all religious institutions irrespective of religion. Temple trusts too should adhere by that.
Also Devotee groups can monitor temples on a Daily basis.
Even now, there are many respected hindus who believe private trusts cannot manage temples properly and only govt has the required resources and authority to manage temples. Two things are missing from the discourse of Temple Worshippers Society, that need to be addressed.
1. Do we want any role for govt or do we want nothing from them? If we want something, what are those specific services we need from govt and how/if govt will be paid for those services?
2. Out of thousands of temples, one some temples can be managed by prominent mutts with their limited resources. Who will manage the remaining temples? How will we address corruption and misappropriation by private parties? Who will monitor the management at the top level? How do we make sure all temples are managed according to a common dharmic reference? How do we ensure private management do not spend the money on non-religious items? Who will be the arbitrator or final authority in case of dharmic conflicts?
If these can be detailed sufficiently, then it will help convincing those who are on the fence, thereby getting more voice to put enough pressure on govt and judiciary. It does not help when Sri. Ramesh talks for the autonomy in the same function where Cho.Ramaswamy talks against autonomy.
1. Mujrai dept/Govt taking over temples is good, why are you protesting??
Government took over Air India too from Tata & Sons. What is the state of Air-India Now. Look at our Navaratnas/PSUs, is any one of them
a world class institution. Look at HMT, they now make 5 Watches per day.
The Government is yet to prove that it can administrate properly even a single institution.
What is the the collective citizen experience of Government Departments like BBMP, BDA, KEB etc. These are the most corrupt organizations. Many of us have paid bribes to get our properties registered. Whether people live in villages or cities it is the same experience.
The same Babudom which ran down many Institutions to ground runs Mujrai Department/Endowments Department. The same disease of inefficiency and corruption inflicts the Mujrai Department.
Placing trust in them that they mean well is totally misplaced and will be lethal to the Hindu community.
25,000 Acres Encorached in Malabar Alone.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/recovery-of-temple-lands-bogged-down/article744310.ece
2. Whose Responsibility is it to Run Temples?
Hindus themselves, It is Either the Hindu mutts or an Administrative Body formed by Hindus that should run temples.
Hindus should play a participative role, Don’t expect to be spoon fed. It is our community, we had to do the hard work.
3. Many temples don’t even light a lamp if there is no Mujrai department?
If there is an Administrative body, let us call it Dharma Parishad, it will take care of all the temples. At the same time the Hindu community has to be participative in the administration process.
After the Mujrai Department came into existence, many Bhakt Mandals have vanished, temple communities scattered. So Mujrai department in itself has created the problem of neglect of temples.
Muslims run their Mosques, Christians run their Churches. Are Hindus Incapabale.??
4. Who will Monitor Private Trusts??
Govt can lay down general rules for all religious institutions irrespective of religion. Temple trusts too should adhere by that.
Also Devotee groups can monitor temples on a Daily basis.
The govt did not have the right to claim 80% income without doing anything much either for the Hindu community or the temple maintenance. The state governments used the money whichever way the want. Tirupati Balaji prasad is prepared by a Christian organization thanks to RajShekhar Reddy. This is sacrilageous
Cho is JJ’s lackey and lacks clear thinking on the subject. he wants privatization of business not worship. Feel he is now senile.
It’s about Equality all else is moot:
Identical questions can be asked about mosque, churches and gurudwaras. There are many more urgent questions like How do we make sure that place of worship does not become terrorist HQ? How do we make sure that place of worship is not used as safehouse in abduction and forcible conversion?
Forget all the questions. At heart the problem is of equality. Right now only Hindu temples are subjugated by Govt. In contrast, Wakf board gets everything complete freedom, govt. grants & exemptions from many laws. This is inequality and undemocratic. In 1980s, no temple,govt or pvt, was exempted from urban land ceiling act but Wakf Board,which was,& is, the largest landowner in urban india was exempted.