Liberation of Hindu temples from govt control, tyranny

By: V Sundaram

Ahistoric All India Conference of Hindu Acharyas convened by Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha was held in the second week of February 2008 in State of Karnataka.

I view this Conference as a landmark event in the history of the heroic struggle of the battered and shattered Hindus of India who have been constitutionally fighting for their fundamental rights against the Islam-embracing, Christianity-coveting and Hindu-hating Government in India at all levels after our independence on 15th August 1947. Freedom with effect from that date has meant total freedom only for the Muslims and Christians of India and enslavement (in all religious and other vital secular matters) for the majority Hindus of India. Keeping this general background of State enforced slavery of the Hindus of India in view, the Acharya Sabha deliberated on a variety of topics of concern and interest to Hindus world-wide and in India in particular. A landmark statement was issued by Acharya Sabha after due deliberations. I am presenting below the most important excerpts from this Statement: ‘There is an increasing awareness among the Acharya leadership, of the seriousness of Hindu concerns and causes which are not addressed or insufficiently addressed by authorities and within Indian Society; some of the Acharyas have taken the initiative to project the grievances of Hinduism and Hindus in specific cases; many have lent their hand and support to collective action to highlight Hindu sensitivities and grievances. Awareness of unjust treatment of Hindus in the country under the flawed concept of secularism, has increased considerably overseas; such awareness is providing support to Hindu awareness among the masses in India. The State Government of Tamil Nadu has in callous disregard of Hindu sentiments pursued the ill-considered Sethusamudram project despite repeated representations from numerous experts and members of the public and also from the Acharya Sabha. The Government of India has also not been sensitive to the sacred resonance of ‘Rama Setu’ in the hearts of millions of Hindus all over the world, in persisting with the dredging of the narrow sea between Sri Lanka and India along an alignment that will damage the ‘Rama Setu’ irretrievably. The Acharya Sabha therefore fully supports the country-wide agitation in the matter, appreciates the scholarly documentation that was put together and the legal action mounted.’ ‘Several Hindu organizations in the country are becoming active and proactive in the field to counter adverse propaganda against Hindu society and Dharma, to oppose conversion and violence and to highlight Hindu sensitivities. More and more subtle attempts are underway outside the country to ‘appropriate’ Hindu philosophy and practices (such as Yoga, meditation, Sanskrit language and even sacred scriptures such as Bhagavad Gita), detaching them from their Hindu identity.’ A historic hindu libration conference in Karnataka Swamy Dyananda Dr.Subramanianswamy with Hindu Saraswathi and other Acharyas of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha ‘Global warming resulting in the rapid receding of glaciers that feed the great Indian rivers, is a major threat to the world and particularly to India; sustained efforts are needed by several authorities to stem this adverse tide; the Hindu religious leadership must explain to the devotee masses how Hindu heritage strongly opposes reckless consumption and supports conservation of and respect to all forms of life.’ ‘Many ancient Mathas and temples in the country are in need of rejuvenation; these institutions have a major role in sustaining, teaching and strengthening Hindu Dharma. Mathatipatis must nominate their successors before it becomes too late to do so; otherwise another pretext would become available for Government to interfere in these Hindu institutions.’ ‘The Acharya Sabha re-pledges itself, in the aforementioned context to speak in a single united voice, act in a concerted manner to implement specific action plans drawn up from time to time, to strengthen Hindu Dharma and Society, and counter the problems and threats they face. In this context, a lot more needs to be done by individual Acharyas in their tours, Pravachans and among their vast devotee populations for raising Hindu self esteem; for resisting and preventing conversion by protagonists of other religions like Christianity and Islam; for refusing to be cowed down by threats of violence from any quarter and above all for taking recourse to legal action in specific cases aimed at protecting Hindu interests at large.’ Against the above general background, the Acharya Sabha took note the following aspects/issues of the problem being faced by the Hindus. 1) Temple Governance Matters. The Acharya Sabha took note of the fact that in Andhra Pradesh, a High Court Stay was in force on acquisition of temple lands for any purpose till writ petitions filed in that regard are finally disposed off; In Andhra Pradesh, certain amendments have been made to the Endowment Act, the primary purpose of which is to reduce the work load on the government department and to release very small temples with little or no income into the hands of individual Archakas for implementing daily Pujas with the help of govt. subvention/devotee offerings; in Karnataka, a High Powered Committee has submitted recommendations for a new Endowment Law after the High Court struck down the earlier ones on certain grounds not necessarily recognizing Hindu concerns in matters of temple governance; in Kerala, in a Writ filed with the help of the Acharya Sabha Trust, the High Court conceded a peripheral point regarding oath-administration, but did not favour any basic concern of Hindu Society as a whole in temple matters; in Madhya Pradesh a new Law is under consideration in respect of temples but it seeks to retains all control in a series of Government nominated bodies and in the hands of the government itself; in Himachal Pradesh and in Uttarakhand new governments have taken over; the alarming tendency in Governments, both Central and the State, to treat temples and places of sacred importance to Hindus as tourist attraction particularly for foreign tourism which detracts from their sacred value to Hindus; there have been many terrorist attacks on Hindu places of worship in the country, and the perpetrators have not been brought to book; and the need for local Hindu communities to gather experience in governing temples of different sizes and popularity among temple-worshipping devotees; and thereby for establishing the credibility of the claim that they are capable of managing their places of worship, efficiently, transparently and in an accountable manner. Keeping these factors in view the Acharya Sabha resolved as follows: That active recourse must be taken to concerted legal action and for this purpose legal cells may be identified and created in different States and at Delhi; That Legal Action Fund may be created in the Acharya Sabha Trust to which individual Acharyas may contribute liberally; That rapport may be established with the new governments in Himachal Pradesh and in Uttarakhand to explore the possibility of some salutary changes in the manner of temple governance; That correspondence may be initiated with the Chief Ministers and the Tourism Minister of Govt. of India on the need to safeguard the sanctity of temples and other places of sacred importance to Hindus; this may be followed up with visits on behalf of the Acharya Sabha, to the ministers; That representations may be addressed to appropriate authorities deploring increasing terrorist threats to and attacks on Hindu places of worship and demanding strong preventive and punitive action; That Temple Committees comprising local temple-worshipping communities should be set up as a part and parcel of Dharma Rakshana Samitis (decided at the last Conference at Mumbai) as a measure of education in transparent and accountable management, harmonious local participation in such management and demonstrable credibility for self-management of places of Hindu worship. Individual Acharyas are exhorted to undertake this exercise within their Sampradayas and area of Matha/Peetha influence. 2. Hindu ScriptureAcharya Sabha noted that unlike in other religious persuasions it is not possible to straitjacket a Hindu and Hinduism exclusively in any set of practices, rituals or taboos; Hinduism should not be viewed only through the prism of what is construed as 'religion’ by non-Hindus; various differing Sampradayas of ancient lineage with diverse interpretations and understandings of ancient scriptural teachings such as Vedas with all the Upanishads, Bhagawad Gita etc constitute Sanaatana Dharma( Hinduism) and are all integral to Hinduism; not-withstanding the foregoing it is necessary to compile a set of simple guiding principles with which modern youth, Ghar Vapasi families, and those outside Hindu Dharma, can obtain a basic understanding of Hinduism; and Bhagawad Gita contains a comprehensive code of Dharma, which could be followed by all human beings for a morally upright, happy and productive life. Taking note of the above facts Acharya Sabha has unanimously resolved that a compilation may be prepared as a practical guide to distinguish a Hindu and Hinduism, with the understanding that it should be taken only as a starting point for a deeper study by a serious seeker, of several authentic interpretations and of the chosen Sampradaya; and the idea that Bhagawad Gita merits acceptance as the National Book of India, is worthy of promotion. Keeping in view all the aspects of Temple Control, Temple Regulation and Temple Governance and the paramount Hindu public need to permanently free the Hindu temples from the stranglehold of Government, Dr Subramanian Swamy has issued this clarion call: ‘The Union Government must enter into an urgent consultation with the apex Hindu body of sadhus, namely the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha (HDAS) convened by Swami Dayananda Sarasvati, to substantially amend the Hindu Religious Endowments and Charitable Trust Act (1951) to bring it in conformity with Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution. At present the Act provides for total and suffocating control of Hindu temples in the country by the Government at the Centre and States, while exempting Mosques and Churches completely even from Government oversight supervision. This is highly discriminatory against the Hindus who are 83 per cent of India’s population, and thus violates Article 14, 25 and 26 of the Constitution.’