Appeal to stop Auction by AP Govt. of Sri Swami Hathiramji Matham - Tirupathi Tirumala land

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--- Mohan Gupta <mgupta wrote:

 

> "Mohan Gupta" <mgupta

> "a4India\"" <info

> Appeal to stop Auction by AP Govt. of Sri

> Swami Hathiramji Matham - Tirupathi Tirumala land

> Tue, 3 Aug 2004 00:11:31 -0400

>

> Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Rajasekhara

> Reddy, is a Christian. He

> is creating havoc and trying to destroy Hindu

> Religion.

>

> "Krishan Bhatnagar" <krishan.kb

> [VHS] Appeal to stop Auction by AP Govt.

> of Sri Swami Hathiramji

> Matham - Tirupathi Tirumala land

>

> Here is a disturbing news of AUCTION of Sri

> Swami Hathiramji Matham -

> Tirupahti land by govt. of Andhra Pradesh on

> August 9, 2004 - barely a

> week

> from now. This is explained in the appeal to the

> CM of Andhra Pradesh

> attached below.

>

> We request that you send your own comments as

> well . Here are some email

> addresses, etc. :

>

> Chief Minister , Andhra Pradesh:

> cmap

> President of India

> pressecy

> (President's press secretary)

> fax : 2301 7290 (in New Delhi)

> Prime Minister:

> manmohan

> VHP, New Delhi:

> jaishriram ,

> > vyas , jaishriram

> > BJP, New Delhi

> bjpco

> >

> > Shri LK Advani,

> advanilk

> > Mrs. Sonia Gandhi

> soniagandhi

> >

> > Indian Embassy, } 2107

> massachusettes Ave, NW,

> > Washington, DC, Phone: (202)

> 939-7000

> >

> > Sincerely

> > Krishan Bhatnagar

> > Maryland, USA

> >

> > =============================

> > Letter to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

> >

> > Hon'ble YS Rajasekhara Reddy

> > Chief Minister

> > Andhra Pradesh

> >

> > Appeal to stop Auction by AP Govt. of

> Sri Swami Hathiramji

> Matham

> > Tirupathi Tirumala land

> >

> > Hon'ble Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy,

> >

> > We are highly disturbed at the news of AUCTION

> of Sri Swami Hathiramji

> > Matham - Tirupahti land by govt. of Andhra

> Pradesh on August 9, 2004 -

> > barely a week from now (attachment A).

> >

> > This Matham is the true holder of sacred

> Tirumala properties. It is

> > supposed to be controlled by the Pedda Jeeyar and

> Chinna Jeeyar Mathams

> and

> > dates back to Saint Ramanujacharya who established

> the bodies. The

> > properties held are not of recent origin, but

> have been owned for

> > centuries.

> >

> > We may also wish to remind you of the

> destruction of the 600 year-old

> 1000

> > pillar temple recently at Tirumala for sake of

> VIP security as another

> > example of the govt. indifference to Hindu

> religious sentiments and

> against

> > the norms of trusteeship. Here are some more

> comments related to govt.

> > control of temples in Andhra Pradesh.

> >

> > In Andhra Pradesh, we understand, they have a

> bureaucracy of 77,000 to

> > manage some 33,000 temples, diverting 85% of

> revenue to state exchequer

> > according to some estimates, while pujarees

> starve and basic poojas are

> > hard

> > to perform due to financial squeeze. We are told

> that after the new Govt.

> > took office in AP recently, the People's War

> Group has put red flags on

> > temple lands in some districts with intent to

> allot them to peasants;

> and

> > the Collector of Palnadu is reported to have a

> plan to distribute 3000

> > acres

> > of Temple Lands under the Endowments Department

> in that area

> >

> > Furthermore, the endowment records also confirm

> that the authorities

> > acquired temple lands for bus stations, police

> stations, Govt. offices,

> > hospitals and power stations etc. several times

> in the past. In a secular

> > society these discriminatory actions against a

> particular religious group

> > must be considered highly questionable,

> inappropriate and

> unconstitutional.

> > Over and above this the Govt. has yet to

> reimburse Rs. 28 crores to the

> > endowment dept. as cost of the acquired lands

> (attachment B). In legal

> > terms

> > that is pure and simple "default." Which means

> that the AP Govt. failed

> to

> > pay and consequently failed as a trustee for

> ensuring the clean

> management

> > of the Hindu endowments.

> >

> > These actions seriously jeopardize the

> preservation and propagation of

> > Hindu cultural and spiritual values and

> therefore, calls for the total

> > withdrawal of the state from controlling

> religious entities. The Indian

> > system of constitutional domain demands that the

> jurisdiction of managing

> > religious entities must reside in the members of

> their respective

> religious

> > communities as is the case of Christian and

> Muslim religious

> institutions.

> > There must be a separation of state and religion

> in a secular state.

> >

> > Democratic and secular governments do not

> penalize or patronize

> religions.

> > Such extra legal actions constitute a reverse

> discrimination against

> > India's

> > majority community. Acts that result in

> destroying the religious fabric

> of

> > the majority community, for how so ever noble

> cause particularly, in a

> > democratic, secular and freedom loving society

> are beyond the frame of

> > reference for the government. Only autocratic and

> totalitarian regimes

> > engage in such acts of cultural destruction of

> people, not constitutional

> > democracies.

> >

> > The "Places of Worship (special provisions) Act

> 1991" by the Lok Sabha,

> > that stipulates "to provide for the maintenance

> of the religious

> character

> > of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th

> day of August 1947" is

> > being violated . The lands were endowed to the

> temples for their support

> > in

> > perpetuity to ensure their religious character

> and not as discretionary

> for

> > the trustees.

> >

> > There are some basic questions: When the whole

> world is already aflame

> > with

> > the "jihad ideology", is it wise for governments

> to incite the tolerant

> > Hindus by grievously violating their religious

> sensitivities? Why are

> only

> > Hindus treated as the chosen people for robbing

> their religious autonomy?

> > The Waqf Board of Muslims and the management of

> Christian religious

> > institutions have vast funds, properties and

> endowments, in addition to

> the

> > immense flow of foreign funds. Why are they

> permitted to remain free of

> > nationalization, interference and Govt. control,

> with their autonomy

> > intact?

> >

> > May we request you to take urgent action to

> rescind the order for

> > auction that is against the norms of trusteeship.

> This is also against

> the

> > very basic tenets of Nehruvian secularism -

> separation of state and

> > religion - that you and your Congress party

> publicly profess. A billion

> > strong Hindu community worldwide is highly

> agitated on this issue.

> >

> > Sincerely

> >

> > Dr. Jagan Kaul

> August 1, 2004

> > Krishan Bhatnagar

> > Hindu Jagran Forum

> > Maryland, USA

> >

> >

>

=======================================================

> >

> > (Attachment A)

> >

> > OFFICE OF THE ADMINSTRATIVE OFFICER

> >

> > SRI SWAMI HATHIRAMJI MATHAM-TIRUPATHI

> > R.C.No.B4/883/96

> > Dt:06-7-2004

> > ANNOUNCEMENT FOR SALE OF LAND

> >

> > Land belonging to Sri Swami

> Hathiramji Matham, Tirupathi

> > situated in Tirupathi Village situated in survey

> No.187/2 to the extent

> of

> > A

> > 0.56 Cents shall be auctioned on 9-8-2004, Monday

> at 11.00 AM on

> > as-is-where-is basis in the presence of Officers

> of the Endowments

> > Department in tender-cum-open auction. Those

> desirous of participating

> > shall obtain and submit Demand Draft in favour of

> Adminstrative Oficer,

> > Sri

> > Swami Hathiramji Matham, Tirupathi on any

> Nationalized Bank for

> > Rs.5,00,000/- (rupees five lakhs only) towards

> Earnest Money Deposit and

> > participate in the auction. (Cheques are not

> accepted).

> >

> > 1) Successful bidder shall pay 1/3 rd of the

> bid amount soon after

> the

> > completion of the auction. (Earnest Money

> Deposit shall be treated as

> > seperate)

> >

> > 2) Soon after obtaining the approval orders

> from Commissioner,

> > Endowments Department, Hyderabad, balance amount

> shall be settled within

> 15

> > days and land should be registered at their own

> cost.

> >

> > 3) Sri Swami Hathiramji Matham reserves the

> right to postpone, or

> > cancel the auction without assigning any reasons.

> >

> > 4) The land shall be handed over soon after

> the completion of

> > registration process.

> >

> > For other conditions, details, The

> Adminstrative Oficer, Sri

> > Swami

> > Hathiramji Matham, Tirupathi may be contacted

> either directly or through

> > Ph.No.2220015 during the office hours (excepting

> during Government

> > Holidays).

> >

> > SRI ARJUNDAS JI

> > (Sd)M.SANJEEVAREDDY

> > SRI MAHANTH

> > ADMINSTRATIVE OFFICER

> > SRI SWAMI HATHIRAMJI MATHAM

> > SRI SWAMI HATHIRAMJI MATHAM

> > TIRUPATHI-TIRUMALA

> > TIRUPATHI-TIRUMALA

> >

> > Note: This notice appeared in Eenadu, August 1,

> 2004. Tamil Nadu Edition

> > on p.no.3 of the regional issue.

> > ===========================================

> >

> >

> > Attachment B

> > Now Naidu eyes temple lands

> > Hindustan Times, July 07, 2003

> > Ashok Das

> > (Hyderabad, July 6)

> >

> > The temple of Lord Venakateswara at Tirupati is

> lucky. The Andhra

> Pradesh

> > government has finally backed off from its demand

> for Rs 36 crore from

> this

> > cash-rich shrine, in the wake of public outcry

> and a litigation in the

> high

> > court.

> > > However, lesser known temples are not so lucky.

> The government has

> > initiated moves to take away temple lands and

> distribute them among

> poorer

> > sections in the name of social justice. According

> to endowment department

> > sources, around 80 per cent of the 27,000-odd

> temples have no income

> other

> > than what they get from the vested lands. And

> once the lands are taken

> > away,

> > puja in many temples will have to be stopped.

> >

> > The decision to acquire endowment lands was

> prompted after district

> > collectors reported the unavailability of

> adequate government land and

> > secondly because of litigation involving

> available lands. The government

> > fixed a target of 8 lakh house site pattas this

> year, after Chief

> Minister

> > Chandrababu Naidu made the announcement at the

> TDP's Tirupati meet.

> >

> > Revenue officials said, the state needs around

> 40,000 acres to meet the

> > target and by tapping endowment properties the

> state could meet only one

> > third of the requirement. 3,000 acres of land

> have been identified for

> > acquisition.

> >

> > TDP leaders defend the government's stand. "The

> lands are under the

> > temples' control for namesake only. The people

> cultivating them are

> giving

> > little or nothing. At least this way, it will

> serve a better cause," said

> a

> > TDP member.

> > Opposition parties have assailed the move. "The

> endowment lands come

> free

> > as government-appointed officials control the

> temples and few would dare

> to

> > challenge the order," said a BJP leader.

> >

> > Endowment records show the government acquired

> temple lands several

> times

> > in the past for bus stands, police stations,

> government offices,

> hospitals,

> > power stations etc. It was yet to reimburse Rs 28

> crores to the endowment

> > department towards the value of the acquired

> land.

> >

> >

> >

>

>