[mandirsangam_list] Petition for Saving Mandirs of Andhra Pradesh

January 10, 2007

Nachiketa Tiwari <nachiketa_t (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote: "Nachiketa Tiwari" <nachiketa_t (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>

dharmasanatana

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:32:43 +0000

Please review this important petition and support it.

REgards.

nachiketa

Dear Friends:

We are sending this petition to save Hindu Temple lands,and revenues and to stop the destruction of the Temple structures. We will submit it AP Chief Minister, the cabinet and the legislative members.Please

encourage all your family members and friends to sign the petition.

Please FORWARD it to all our friends. Any questions call me;

V. V. Prakasa Rao

601-918-7111

http://www.petitiononline.com/qa23124/petition.html

The Govt of Andhra Pradesh

The Governor of Andhra Pradesh

The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

Cabinet Ministers of Andhra Pradesh

MLAs and MPs of Andhra Pradesh

We, the under signed request the government of Andhra Pradesh to give Hindu Temples and other institutions the same privileges that are accorded to Churches and Mosques.

Hindus in the State feel that they are being unconstitutionally deprived of their religious freedom to manage their places of worship. The temple going devotees have no say whatever in managing their temples. This is unfair and unequal treatment (prohibited by the Constitution), considering that the Christian's and Muslims in the country have total control of their places of worship and religious importance.

What started as government supervision to ensure good governance, has become, over the years, total control by government of temples, their income and their property being misused. This is unconstitutional for a secular government.

Even with such total control temple lands which are endowed property are being sold, encroached or otherwise alienated with or without government consent. Government control of temples has thus resulted in damage to temple property and welfare.

Temples are being treated as a government department. This is illegal because government is at best only a trustee of temple income and property and not the owner. It is the deity which is the owner, under the settled law of the country.

For these reasons it is imperative to repeal or drastically modify the Endowment Act and Rules.

It is possible to entrust the temples to the control of devotee population and the Hindu religious leadership and still provide statutorily for transparent and accountable management.

The State government must entrust a high powered expert commission of temple going Hindus with the task of rewriting the law applicable to temples and other places of learning and reverence to Hindus.

Government of Andhra Pradesh should disclose all the assets owned by the Hindu temples since passage Endowment act and handover the illegally occupied lands back to the temples.

We are sincerely appealing the elected officials of AP to give Hindus the same rights and privileges to manage their Hindu Temples and Mutts that were accorded to other religions.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

PLEASE given below to sign.

All adult member of your family can sign. Encourage all our friends to sign

Please FORWARD it to all our friends.

http://www.petitiononline.com/qa23124/petition.html

Sincerely,

The Undersigned