RESTORE THE MANAGEMENT OF PLACES OF WORSHIP TO THE HINDU COMMUNITY

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"H. V. Shivadas" <h.v.shivadas >To:

<h.v.shivadas >RESTORE THE MANAGEMENT OF PLACES OF WORSHIP TO

THE HINDU COMMUNITYMon, 17 Oct 2005 22:19:25 -0400

Please help us to return the Hindu places of worship to the Hindu Community in

India. India is the largest secular democracy in the world, yet in India the

majority religion of Hinduism is not allowed to have any control over the

management, property, assets, contributions, and funding of their own Temples,

as it is being given over to the control of the Government. This would be the

same as if here, in America, all Christian denomintations had to relinquish the

management, property, assets, contributions, and funding of their Churches to

politicians of the U.S. Governemnt. Read the petition below and go to

http://www.petitiononline.com/41207/petition.html to sign the petition.

 

 

The President of India

 

SAVE HINDUS’ RIGHT TO WORSHIP RESTORE THE MANAGEMENT OF PLACES OF WORSHIP TO THE HINDU COMMUNITY

 

THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA Rashtrapathi Bhavan, New Delhi Your Excellency,

 

This is to bring to your kind attention a grave aberration in the governance of

the Democratic, Secular, Republic of India in its practice of Secularism

enshrined in the Constitution. The Constitution guarantees that the government

will not interfere with the religious institutions of the people since India is

a Secular Country.

 

While this is followed in letter and spirit in the case of the minority

religions this is being violated in the case of Hinduism. From colonial times

the Hindu temples are being run by the state and central governments in many

places and the revenue from these places are being routed for non-religious

purposes of the state. There is also rampant corruption in the handling of

these funds as those delegated to the management of these are not chosen for

their faith or commitment to the cause. While the incomes from the Churches of

the Christian community or the Mosques of the Muslim community get utilized for

their own community and religious purposes this is not the case with the Hindu

community.

 

Thus the places of worship of the Hindu segment are in turmoil. As there are not

enough funds from the Secular governments available to the Hindus for religious

purposes they are at a double disadvantage. This money donated by the Hindu

pilgrims ought to have been used exclusively for the places of worship and the

community needs but this is not possible now. There have been reports that

these funds also get used for the benefit of other religions, like giving

subsidies for Haj pilgrims, from the Muslim community. Since the Hindu

community has negligible international support unlike other religions this

leads to a major handicap.

 

Our enquiries reveal that the Tirupati Thirumala Devasthanam (TTD) in Andhra

Pradesh generates nearly Rs. 500 crores annually and 90% of this money is

reportedly going for non-Hindu purposes. There are also allegations about the

non-Hindu administrators appointed to run the temple. This is a clear

discrimination against the Hindu population. In Kerala the Lord Ayyappa temple

at Sabarimala and the Guruvayoor temples, to take two instances, also generates

huge incomes which presently gets diverted to other sectors of state apart from

getting misused. Large number of Hindu temples are in need of repairs and

renovation but these funds are presently not available for that purpose.

Neither is this available for the pressing community purposes.

 

>From the funds of the Guruvayoor temple a major part was recently committed to

the state administration for building public sewerage systems by the state

government designated officials. The Poonkavanam area of the Sabarimala forest

temple comprising of several hills and worshipped and conserved by the devotees

was taken over during the British times and presently the Govt. of India is

asking that the temple pay Rs. 6 crores as compensation for 50 ha of land given

for pilgrim facilities. This is as against the thousands of hectares taken over

by illegal encroachers, predominantly of the Christian community, in nearby

areas with no compensation, with state support. This also has to be seen in the

backdrop of the temple revenues worth crores going to the government for the

last several decades.

 

As your kind self is aware there is enormous inflow of international aid to the

non-Hindu religions mainly from the Christian organizations and these are being

used to lure the poor Hindu populations in to their faith. Since the donations

make the people loyal to the donors there is every possibility that they act

later on behalf of them. It is a clear case of bribing in the name of religion.

There is no way for the Hindu population to arrest this marauding activity

through redoubtable international aid as the temple revenues are being diverted

to other needs by the government. Lapses in temple administration are frequently

reported.

 

Since the rich countries of the world are predominantly Christian in the

post-colonial world and they have used faith and trade as tools for subjugation

in the past it is quite likely that this situation will clearly jeopardize the

faith of the majority people in India very soon and also, we are afraid,

compromise the country's sovereignty. It is also a clear violation of the

rights of the individual when the money donated to a temple by a devote is used

for purposes other than what is intended. There are also reports of non-Hindus

and atheists appointed by various governments to administer temples which can

be ritually damaging and is a violation of the principles of justice.

 

Hence we request that your excellency kindly intervene that : - The Hindu places

of worship be left to the Hindu community just as the Christian and Muslim

places are being managed by the respective communities. - That appropriate

systems be evolved to manage the temples where the Hindu saints and scholars

have the final say - Stipulate that the revenues generated at the temples be

used only for the purposes of the places of worship or the Hindu community

needs by statutory provisions - Help evolve a uniform country wide management

policy with regard to the administration and upkeep of temples with the

guidance of competent Hindu saints This plea on behalf of the affected Hindu

community is to ensure that India remains a true secular democratic country.

That the sense of resentment does not lead to break down in communal amity.

Also that India’s sovereignty is safe guarded. Else the places of worship of

all other communities including their international aid

be brought under the scrutiny and management of the various governments. Also

enquiries be constituted as to where the funds arrive and to what use they are

put to through time. This anomaly has been existing since long and our appeal

to your excellency is to help us get justice atleast at this late hour..

Thanking you

 

haindava_keralam Contact Email: In association with Shree

Vidyadhiraja Vikasa Kendram, Thiruvananthapuram Contact Email:

gsvvk (AT) (DOT) co.in

 

Sincerely,

 

The Undersigned

 

Go to http://www.petitiononline.com/41207/petition.html to sign the petition.

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