-SATISH HANDA

 Controversy over demand to free Hindu religious trusts and temples under state governments control has started in the country. Large number of community persons has raised a question if mosques belonging to Muslim community and church belonging to Christians community are functioning  independently and are not under government control why only Hindu temples. A question was raised that not a single mosque or a church in the country has been taken over   by the government then why government has forcibly taken the possession of nearly four lakh Hindu temples in the country when there is no such control over Muslim and Christian religious bodies demanding to amend ‘Hindu Religious Charitable Endowments (HRCE) Act 1951’ which allows state government to take over temples for complete control over them and their properties.

The community leaders said, government should withdraw possession of all temples acquired by them and hand over the management to community Trusts as in case of mosques and church in the country. Even political parties  contesting polls as well as Hindu voters during poll campaigns has started quoting to withdraw HRCE Act 195i and in case their political party wins election and comes to power as seen in Vidhan Sabha polls in Tamilnadu  when Hindu voters demanded government to vacate possession over temples in the state. Some time ago, BJP President J.P. Nadda said there is proposal to constitute Central Board for some of the temples in the states which was strongly opposed by many Hindu Societies expressed deep regrets accusing government neglecting Hindu community as compared to Muslim and Christian communities.

Even Supreme Court of India number of times expressed government taking possession of Hindu temples unfair saying that management of a religious temples is responsibility of a priest not by the government raising a question that how an officer trained in administrative activities may be able to control a religious temple and acquiring nearly four lakh temples in the country is un-justice to the community. Investigation reveals, amount earned by donations in temples in Andhra Pradesh and Karnatka states was spent on ‘Haj” subsidy instead of spending on the welfare of temples by the government, which is surprising and unjustified, government should have spent such income on developing educational institutes, cow sheds, yoga centres, hospitals and institutes providing training in art and culture to children in religious places..

According to religious activists, the social status of a Priest in a temple as compared to a Imam or a Bishop is getting weaker day by day due to indifferent attitude of government. They said, amount collected towards donations in the temples  is being collected and used by the government as a revenue earned by the  government which is not only unfortunate but also violation of section of section 25-26 of the constitution. They raised a question over service tax collected in Hindu temples, why not from mosques or a church and in many cases government taking major share in amount collected as donations in temples.

Not only this, between year 1986 to 2005 thousands acres  precious land belonging to temples in Tamilnadu state was  illegally encroached due to lack of case by the government on acquired properties earlier belonging to religious organizations having management of temples. Past scenario reveals, in ancient history not a single ruler ever tried to take over any temples nor attempted to extract money from the amount of donations from a religious temple, rather financially assisted these religious monuments. We cannot forget excesses by Mughal emperors on Hindus while ruling over in our country but they never harm any religious place.

Few political experts expressed concern over government policy to take over Hindu temples saying an unfortunate act in which the community deprived of   their rights to run their religious, educational and cultural organizations independently in an independent country. Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Zonal President Karnatka state M. Puranik while addressing a Press Conference said, Hindu religious institutes and charitable  organizations should have independent management  and exprtessed concernover government issued circulars to get private  temples registered  under section 53 and through a circular vide Charitable Endowment Act 2011 directing all Karnatka Hindu religious institutions and management of temples to submit a to submit report of the temple. VHP strongly opposed issuing such notices demanding detail of their properties, assets and accounts blaming it a conspiracy to take over more temples in the state.