The Thert Against Hindu Temples & Culture in Bharath by Susheel Kumar

This article shows how the Indian government is purposely jeopardizing the future of Hindu temples.

With a little attention, anyone can see how Hindu institutions and Hinduism in India are unfairly targeted by a combination of vote bank politics and unscrupulous politicians. Particularly alarming is the destruction of Hindu institutions and the illegal mass conversions by other religions.

Through the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act (HRCE Act) of 1951, state governments have appointed managers to the boards of temples in the name of better administration, while mosques and churches are completely autonomous. I strongly question, WHY?

 This Act allowed the state governments and politicians to take over thousands of Hindu temples and maintain complete control over these temples and their property. Many abuses are committed by multiple state governments using the power accorded through this Act. They can sell the temple assets and properties and use the money in any way they choose. Often the temple and the devotees who patronize them do not see any of the money, nor does it come back to assist the Hindu community to which the temple belongs. Some of this money is that which is directly donated by the pilgrims and devotees who attend the temple, given for the temple upkeep, or for the priests and deities. However, some of the money is disbursed by the government for ulterior causes or to other non-profit organizations based on political connections. 

In Andhra Pradesh under the Congress Chief Minister YSR, tens of thousands of acres of temple lands were sold away leaving temples with little economic basis and the trend continues. ALL LAND BELONGING TO TEMPLES MUST BE RETURNED AS DONE IN CASE OF WAQF PROPERTIES RECENTLY DUE TO COURT RULING. WHY NOT FOR HINDUS?

The state government and the endowments department, whose duty is to safeguard the temple properties, have turned a blind eye to encroachments or take overs of temple properties. The state government recently went to the extent of regularizing encroachments at nominal prices. These encroachments are often found to be closely associated to various political parties.

In Andhra Pradesh, Hindu temples, institutions, and Hinduism itself are illegally targeted by the crusade of the government. Under the Temple Empowerment Act, about 34,000 temples had come under government control. Only 18% of the revenue of these temples is said to be given back for temple purposes, while the remaining 82% is used for other things by the government at their discretion. Such looting, massive sale of temple lands, demolition of temples, encroachments of temple properties, and the utilization of aggressive religious conversion tactics by Christians in the vicinity of temples is occurred all over Andhra Pradesh  glaringly under YSR regime. The government, which is supposed to be a protector has become a destroyer of the culture, which threatens the very existence of Hindu institutions. Only after public protests has the state government given back some of the temples, yet the most profitable were still kept under state control.

Even the world famous sacred temple at Tirumala-Tirupati is not spared. This temple collects over Rs. 3,100 crores (official figures as per Govt which may be very conservative) every year, and the state government has not denied the charge that as much as 85% of this is transferred to the state exchequer, much of which goes to causes that are not connected with the Hindu community or Vedic temples. The government also attempted to take over 5 out of 7 Tirumala hills for churches and tourism for the profit of development companies and other affiliates not connected with the temple. The 1000 pillar Mantapam hall was illegally demolished. Recently, in response to Sri Chinnajeeyar Swami’s petition, the Andhra Pradesh High Court has declared the demolition illegal and instructed the TTD management at Tirupati to reconstruct it. If anyone has seen the Tirupati temple and the difference there is without the 1000 pillar hall, it is shocking.

The Andhra Pradesh government also allowed the demolition of at least 10 temples for the construction of a golf course. Imagine the outcry, protests, and riots that would have happened if that would be suggested for a mosque. The son of the Chief Minister even blew up the Sunkulamma Hindu Temple in Anantapur, and his brother, by constructing his own building, has encroached on Gurukula trust lands worth crores of rupees. While taking extra precautions to protect churches and mosques with money from the state treasury, the government has been selling or donating, for various government schemes and non-Hindu purposes, tens of thousands of acres of temple lands worth thousands of crores of rupees that are meant for the perpetual sustenance of the temples. This will irreparably cripple these Hindu institutions. Of course, that seems to be part of the plan.

The temples and Maths that did not earlier come under government supervision are taken into government control for selling away their lands. The State Endowment Board with 77,000 employees, all of whom are supported by 15-18 percent of the income from 33,000 temples, has done little for the welfare of the Hindu institutions. At the same time, priests of temples are penniless and temples are decaying due to lack of maintenance. Hindu priests do not want to train children in priestly activities for lack of economical basis. This seems to be the goal of the government to systematically wipe out Vedic culture across India. 

Even while this is going on, the Andhra Pradesh government pays 12,000 rupees per pilgrim for the Haj trip to Mecca each year, and YSR had considered proposals to pay Christians for trips to Bethlehem, the same happen under JAGAN. At the same time, the government had imposed a 50% raise on the fares of state buses on MahaShivaratri festival day, like a tax that takes advantage of the Hindu community and makes it even more difficult for them to observe their own holidays. This is not unlike the jizya tax the Muslims imposed on Hindus years ago just for being Hindus. Furthermore, the most important Hindu holidays, such as RamaNavami, are being taken off the government holiday list to be replaced by secular holidays.  

The net result of this strategic and planned selling of all temple properties, along with taxing the Hindu community while providing funds for Christian/ Islamic purposes, seems to be designed to systematically and completely cripple Hindu institutions in the state with little hope for their survival. The Andhra Pradesh government under YSR Ordered 21 gave crores of rupees for the renovation and construction of churches, thus helping to pave the way for major Christianization of the state using illegal techniques for mass conversions. Almost all these activities are a violation of the Indian constitution that is supposed to separate the state and religion. The government also controls the media that ignore any Hindu representation. Even the rare newspapers like Eenadu that do represent the Hindu view of things are persecuted by unfair tax raids, and attempts to stop their Hindu devotional telecasts. They then use the secular news media to spread false info of fundamentalist Hindus, and to defame popular Vedic saints who make great strides for the Dharmic cause.

Activities in other parts of India include providing provisions to the poor, as long as they convert to Christianity. It is also seen where hospitals provide free medical care, such as for women giving birth to babies, as long as they sign papers that say they convert to Christianity. Or new water wells established in a poor village, but in front of a church where the pastor makes sure no non-Christians are allowed to draw water. In these and other ways, the plan is to convert with goods and allurements.

In Karnataka, for example, in 2003, as reported by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and in “India Today”, 79 crores  was collected from about twenty thousand (20,000) temples. From that, temples received 7 crores  for their maintenance, Muslim Madrassas and the Haj subsidy (for trip to Mecca) was given 59 crores, and churches about 13 crores. Because of tactics like this, twenty-five percent of the twenty thousand temples i.e., about 5,000 in Karnataka, will be closed down for lack of resources. The only way the government can continue to do this is because people have not stood up enough to stop it.

In Kerala, funds from the Guruvayur temple are diverted to other government projects denying improvements to 45 Hindu temples. Land belonging to the Ayyappa temple (in Sabarimala) has been grabbed and church backed encroaches are occupying huge areas of forestland running into thousands of acres near Sabarimala. The communist state government of Kerala, which naturally has little to no respect for the Vedic culture and religion, wants to pass an ordinance to disband the Travancore and Cochin Autonomous Devaswom Boards (TCDB) and take over their limited independent authority of 1800 Hindu temples. In this way, the looting of temple finances and properties continues unabated. It is said that this state alone has 29,000 Christian missionaries and clergy and 19,000 in Muslim counterparts whose main preoccupation is conversion of Hindus. Kerala is a precursor for the state of things to come for the Hindu community in India. With a 56 percent Hindu population, it hardly controls 25 percent of the economy.

The Maharasthra state government has been moving to pass a bill that would enable it to take over the 450,000 Hindu temples in the state. This would supply a huge amount of revenue to correct the state’s bankrupt condition after its bad economic policies. So, now that the state politicians have ruined the financial condition of the state, they want to take money from the Hindu temples and community to adjust the situation. This is but another crime against India and its Vedic culture at the hands of its incompetent political leaders.

This is a precursor to repeat the process already happening in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala. Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees public establishment and maintenance of religious institutions and to administer such property in accordance with law, has been completely ignored toward Hindu foundations. 

While looting Hindu institutions, the Governments subsidizes the “Haj” pilgrimage for the Muslims to the tune of Rs. 380 crores annually (including subsidy to airlines), and provides 1000 crores per year for the salary of Imams, and provides funds to churches. The money donated by Hindus in temple for religion is being diverted against Hindu Religion.

 why the same pilgrimage privileges are not given to Hindus to go to Tirupathi, Varanasi, Rameswaram, Ayodhya, Dwaraka, Badarinath, etc? Why this kind of unfair discrimination?

            The state government of Bihar has also paved the way for the loss of Rs. 2000 crores of temple owned property because of its Endowments department, according to the religious trust Administrator.    In Orissa, the state government intends to sell over 20,000 acres of endowment lands from the Jagannatha Temple, the proceeds of which would solve a huge financial crunch brought about by its own mismanagement of temple assets. The state government of Rajasthan also wants to auction various Hindu temples to the highest bidder, regardless of whether they are Hindu or not. This flagrant diversion of wealth from Hindu temples is directly opposite the ideal of a secular country, and a bold travesty of the principle of separation of religion and state. 

The trend continues across India and the threat to the greatest and oldest religion has been never so big.

            Why such occurrences are so often not known is that Indian media, especially the English television and press, are often anti-Hindu in their approach, and, thus, not inclined to give much coverage, and certainly no sympathy, for anything that may affect the Hindu community. Therefore, such government actions that play against the Hindu community go on without much or any attention attracted to them. 

It is time that the Occupation of Hindu temples by Pseudo secularist is taken away and income from Temples is spent for upliftment of Hindu community and temples. 

GOVERNMENTS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO DIVERT MONEY RECEIVED FROM HINDU TEMPLES TO OTHER CAUSES. IT MUST RETAINED FOR BUILDING TEMPLES AND WELFARE OF HINDUS AND PILGRIMAGE. 

ALL TEMPLE LAND ENCROACHED AND SOLD MUST GIVEN BACK TO THE TEMPLES.

It is already too late. A great religion that survived invasions for 50 Centuries may extinct in 50 years if no action is taken. Our descendants may not be able to worship freely if things are not brought under control now. 

An Appeal to all Hindus to act through various forums, associations and seek ban on such anti Hindu actions by government. it is now or never. Our silence may kill our identity, Religion, future and freedom.