URGENT : IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

[Guest guest]

Pushpa Rajguru <pushparajguru@hotmail.com>

> wrote:

> > "Pushpa Rajguru" <pushparajguru@hotmail.com>

> > pushparajguru@

> > Assault on Hindu Temples - An open letter

> > to the Chief Minister of Andhra Prade

> > Tue, 15 Jul 2003 15:59:52 +0000

> >

> "Having failed in his demand for Rs. 36 crores from

> Lord Vankateswara Tirupati temple due to stiff

> opposition, the Chief Minister of Andra Pradesh has

> targeted thousands of hapless smaller temples."

> >

>

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/printedition/070703/detNAT19.shtml

>

> URGENT : IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

> >

> > Friends:

> >

> > Andhra Pradesh might set in motion a pattern which

> > could prove to be fatal

> > for the Hindus all over India. Chief Minister

> > Naidu's plan to take away

> > temple's lands must be nipped in the bud. A grass

> > roots level protest in

> > India MUST BE MOBILIZED. Please help by spreading

> > the information and

> > sending letters of protest to the CM.

> >

> > Shree Krishan Bhatnagar has spent invaluable time

> &

> > resources in his

> > relentless pursuit to get this message across to

> as

> > many people as possible.

> > His "Open Letter to the Chief Minister of

> Andhra

> > Pradesh" is reproduced

> > below. There is a short cover note at the

> beginning

> > of his Open Letter

> > which explains the issue, its seriousness and the

> > necessity of urgent

> > action by leaders and the public. It is based on

> a

> > news report that is

> > attached at the very end. Those who prefer a

> > different format can easily

> > edit the letter according to their wishes.

> >

> > Other suggestions, ideas about how to combat this

> > latest assault on our

> > sacred temples is encouraged.

> >

> > Your help is appreciated.

> >

> >

> > Pushpa Rajguru

> > ------------

> >

> > ----Original Message Follows----

> > "Krishan Bhatnagar" <krishan.kb@verizon.net>

> > "Krishan Bhatnagar" <krishan.kb@verizon.net>

> > Assault on Hindu Temples: An open letter

> to

> > the Chief Minister of

> > Andhra Pradesh

> > Mon, 14 Jul 2003 16:19:19 -0400

> >

> > Friends,

> >

> > This concerns Andhra Pradesh (AP) govt. decision

> to

> > take away the temples'

> > vested lands. It is estimated that 80 % of 27,000

> > temples, that have no

> > other income except that from these lands, will

> face

> > closure, a very serious

> > concern to the Hindu community . Hence the open

> > letter to the CM of AP,

> > whose move seems to be politically motivated.

> > Hindus world wide must

> > protest en masse to have it revoked. Filing PILs'

> in

> > Indian courts is also

> > suggested.

> >

> > Having failed in his demand for Rs. 36 crores from

> > Lord Vankateswara

> > Tirupati temple due to stiff opposition, the CM

> has

> > targeted thousands of

> > hapless smaller temples (see News item at the end

> of

> > the letter). Every one

> > of us interested in preservation of our heritage

> and

> > temples must band

> > together to thwart this effort by politicians'

> > electoral impulses.

> >

> > Please circulate the open protest letter to the CM

> > (or your own letters *)

> > or comments and petitions on this issue, as widely

> > as possible amongst

> > majority community, media, officials and

> legislators

> > and to the CM himself.

> > This anti Hindu, anti secular, discriminatory

> plan

> > cannot be allowed to go

> > through and undermine the age old cultural and

> > spiritual infrastructure of

> > the majority community in AP. Just imagine that

> the

> > minorities fight for

> > every inch and every brick of their religious

> places

> > and here the survival

> > of over 20,000 temples is at stake!

> >

> > Immediate action is required since he government

> has

> > initiated moves to take

> > away temple lands.

> >

> > Beg everyone to spare sometime for this community

> > service.

> >

> > Thanks for your time and effort.

> >

> > Krishan Bhatnagar

> > Maryland, USA

> > July 14, 2003

> > (on behalhf of many concerned citizens)

> >

> > * e.g. you may replace this cover note with views

> on

> > behalf of an

> > organiztion or yourself

> >

>

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

> >

> > AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHIEF MINISTER OF

> > ANDHRA PRADESH

> >

> > ASSAULT ON HINDU TEMPLES - IS

> THIS

> > THE BEGINNING OF DENYING

> > FREEDOM OF WORSHIP TO INDIA'S

> > RELIGIOUS MAJORITY?

> >

> > Dear Chief Minister Naidu,

> >

> > At the very outset we express our appreciation for

> > your stewardship in

> > bringing about a technological revolution of sorts

> > in AP particularly in the

> > field of "information technology." Your innovative

> > approach to this field

> > has elevated AP to the position of a leader in the

> > country - second only to

> > Bangalore, resulting in a worldwide demand for the

> > expertise built in your

> > state. In deed such performance has cultivated a

> > similar opportunity of

> > leadership for you at the national level. For this

> > distinctive progress in

> > AP you have our admiration. However, we are

> greatly

> > saddened to notice that

> > your policies are not as progressive, democratic

> and

> > secular uniformly. The

> > case in point is your approach to the Hindu

> temples

> > and endowments trust.

> >

> > Mr. Naidu, your administration has launched a

> > "virtual assault" against the

> > Hindu temples as explained by its recent moves for

> > depriving them of their

> > landed properties (see attached News item). Such

> > initiatives are radical,

> > provocative and cut at the very roots of the

> > separation of religion and

> > state. These highly controversial moves have far

> > reaching consequences as

> > they flagrantly violate the principle that

> > guarantees "freedom of religion"

> > in the Indian Republic. If not withdrawn

> forthwith

> > they may result in

> > social and communal disruption that is bound to

> > evoke passions of India's

> > indignant religious majority all over the world.

> >

> > The apparent argument that the dismantling of the

> > fabric of the centuries

> > old and time -tested structure of Hindu system of

> > worship (by taking away

> > temples' sustenance) is necessary for uplifting

> the

> > poor is as lame as it is

> > unreal. Hindus in general and their places of

> > worship in particular have

> > never stood in the way of bringing about and

> > administering social justice.

> > In reality it is the unrealistic, discriminatory

> and

> > appeasement policies

> > perpetrated by selfish politicians that prevented

> > the realization of such

> > goals.

> >

> > Mr. CM, the official figures from the endowment

> > department reveal that the

> > AP Govt.'s. assumptions about the landed

> properties

> > of the temples are

> > basically short on facts and therefore, untenable.

> > In that around 80% of the

> > 27,000-odd temples have no income other than what

> > they get from the vested

> > lands (see attached News item). And once the lands

> > are taken over, for want

> > of resources the worship (puja) in these temples

> > will come to a close

> > leading to their inevitable closure. In reality

> such

> > an action will amount

> > to denying the right to worship - the right that

> has

> > been guaranteed by the

> > Indian Constitution. From the looks of it the

> > decision under discussion

> > seems to be politically motivated to dissuade the

> > "Indian majority" from

> > exercising their will against any unpopular

> policies

> > of the state Govt.

> >

> > 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. Mr. Naidu, in a

> > secular society these discriminatory actions

> against

> > a particular religious

> > group must be considered highly questionable,

> > inappropriate and

> > unconstitutional. Over and above this your Govt.

> has

> > yet to reimburse Rs. 28

> > crores to the endowment dept. as cost of the

> > acquired lands. 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 jurist prudence and

> > constitutional domain demands that

> > the jurisdiction of managing religious entities

> must

> > reside in the members

> > of their respective religious communities.

> >

> > Surely Mr. Chief Minister, the state Govt. has a

> > right and responsibility

> > of engaging in social and economic development of

> > its citizens. But going to

> > the extent of destroying the religious fabric of

> the

> > majority community for

> > howsoever noble cause particularly in a

> democratic,

> > secular and freedom

> > loving society is beyond its frame of reference.

> > Only autocratic and

> > totalitarian regimes engage in such acts of

> > cultural destruction of people,

> > not constitutional democracies.

> >

> > By demanding Rs. 36 crores from Lord Venkateswara

> > Temple at Tirupati, not

> > paying Rs. 28 crores, the cost of the already

> > acquired lands and initiating

> > measures to deprive the temples of their means of

> > survival - in this case

> > the meager lands they traditionally own, the AP

> > Govt. has embarked upon an

> > extremely explosive path that has the potential of

> > unleashing volcanic

> > eruptions capable of engulfing the Republics'

> entire

> > social system. This

> > policy smacks of the reintroduction of Ghaznavi

> and

> > Aurangzeb's "Jazia"

> > though with one difference. The present day

> enforcer

> > of the penalties is a

> > Hindu Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr.

> > Chandrababu Naidu. Isn't it a

> > shame that on the one hand the Indian govt.

> > subsidizes the "Haj" pilgrimage

> > to the tune of Rs. 150 crores annually, on the

> other

> > the AP authorities are

> > crusading to destroy the self- supporting

> structure

> > of the Hindu temples. To

> > all, this represents an attack on Hinduism

> itself.

> >

> > Frankly Mr. CM, these initiatives challenge the

> very

> > integrity of the

> > nation's majority community. Slowly but surely

> such

> > a self-defeating and

> > destructive policy is bound to give rise to

> > fundamentalism across the

> > board, thus plunging the nation once again in an

> > avoidable communal strife.

> > In Indian system of laws the marriage of state and

> > religion is

> > inconceivable. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the

> > AP authorities to adhere

> > to the laws of the nation and leave the domain of

> > religions alone. Failure

> > to do so may result in social and religious

> > upheavals.

> >

> > CM Naidu, in order to avoid such a devastating

> turn

> > of events it is time for

> > your administration to immediately revise its

> policy

> > towards the Hindu

> > temples. Instead of attacking their sources of

> > sustenance let the economic

> > foundations of their self sufficiency be left in

> > tact. Additionally, to

> > execute the policy of separation of state and

> > religion let the following

> > measures be initiated in AP. That alone will

> remove

> > the apprehensions of the

> > Hindu majority and hopefully restore their

> > confidence in the Govt. of laws

> > as against the authorities following the "laws of

> > the jungle."

> >

> > 1) revoke the decision to take away lands meant

> for

> > maintenance which will

> > result in closing of tens of thousands of temples

> > depriving millions of

> > people of cultural and spiritual centers ;

> > 2) reimburse Rs 28 crores to the endowment

> > department towards the value of

> > the temple lands acquired earlier for bus

> terminals,

> > police stations, etc;

> > and

> > 3) hand over control of temples and endowments to

> > representatives of

> > majority community, as government's control is

> > reverse discrimination

> > against them, against the secular spirit of the

> > constitution and handicaps

> > the preservation and propagation of Hindu cultural

> > and spiritual values.

> > In this age of public participation in the

> > management of social

> > institutions, why Govt. control over places of

> > worship ? These

> > institutions must be allowed to function under

> their

> > own community control

> > and management and be treated at par for

> concessions

> > and financial

> > assistance as those for other religions.

> >

> > Thank you Mr. Chief Minister. We are looking

> > forward to your positive

> > action and a response.

> >

> > Your well wishers

> >

> > Concerned citizens

> > July 14, 2003

> >

> >

>

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

> > 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.