Temples facing threat from government?

Are Hindu temples facing threat from the Indian Government. Contrary to the claims by the so called secular parties and politicians and Government authorities, startling facts prove otherwise.

In the name of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act (HRCE Act) of 1951, all state governments appointed members to the boards of temples in name of better administration while ignoring Churches and mosques.

Previous chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh sold away thousands of acres of temple lands without permission from Hindus. Endowments Department turned blind eye to encroachments and Governments blatantly started regularizing these encroachments at nominal prices.

In AP 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.

It allowed destruction of temples for construction of Golf Course in Tirumala. 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 (tens of millions) of rupees.

In Kerala, the Government is diverting Guruvayur temple funds and is planning to disband the Travancore and Cochin Autonomous Devaswom Boards (TCDB) and take over their limited independent authority of 1800 Hindu temples. Maharashtra too is planning to take over 450,000 Hindu temples.

By Pramod Nandivada