Whether Hindu temples must remain in government control is a hot topic these days. And having a public discussion on this would make things all the more interesting. The focus on government control of temples is quite interesting because the major opposition parties who claim that India is a ‘secular’ state have always been supporting the state control of temples, and temples alone. In the pre-British era, kings of the land constructed the temples and dedicated them to the people for worship and maintaining them. The local communities maintained the temples. They flourished as the centres of dance and art, and at the heart of a massive decentralised trade network as well.
PoliTalk’s, a popular YouTube channel that debunks Dravidian ideology, is organising a discussion forum on this exact theme in association with SMaRT4Bharat, a Media MassCom platform.
To get more clarity on this topic and to intensify public opinion, an event titled ‘Freeing temples: A Necessity Or A Political Tool?’ is being held on 4 February 2024 at Abu Sarovar Portico, Poonamallee High Road, Kilpauk, Chennai from 10 AM to 4 PM.
Renowned personalities such as temple activist TR Ramesh, political commentator Sattai Duraimurugan, Congress member Americai Narayanan, temple activist Rangarajan Narasimhan, and political commentator Sumanth C Raman are speaking at this event. The special guest for the event is Hon’ble Judge GR Swaminathan, Madras High Court along with actor turned political commentator Kasthuri Shankar. Entry is free for all and no registration is needed.
The programme itinerary is as follows:
The programme starts at 10AM in the morning of 4 February 2024 with an inauguration followed by a Bharatnatyam performance. This will be followed by an inaugural speech by Justice GR Swaminathan.
This address will be followed by an Oyilattam performance and subsequently a special address by Kasthuri Shankar.
Following this, there will be a lunch break and post lunch, the discussion will begin. The exchange of views will be done by the speakers (in no specific order) Americai Narayanan, Sumanth Raman, TR Ramesh, Rangarajan Narasimhan, Saattai Duraimurugan. The event is expected to be over by 4PM that day.
Why Is This Topic Important?
Let us look at government control of temples from a Tamil Nadu perspective. The British were keen on taking up the administration of the temples to weaken them and plunder the wealth. The British introduced regulations like The Madras Regulation VII of 1817 to control temple wealth, later formalized under The Religious Endowments Act 1863. Later, The Madras Religious and Charitable Endowments Act 1925, and subsequent legislation, expanded government control over Hindu temples. Finally, post-independence, Tamil Nadu’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act 1951 consolidated government control over temple management. Temples, especially in the south, possessed massive property and wealth. The subsequent state governments after independence inherited these laws from the British state governments, continued to interfere in the administration and management of Hindu temples, using their laws and boards. This led to widespread mismanagement, corruption, and loss of temple property and heritage.
Today, at least 18 states in the country regulate the temple administration through various acts and laws. These are: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal.
Due to the state control, temple funds, including hundi collections, face significant deductions for administrative fees and government schemes, diverting resources from traditional purposes. These often lead to the neglected and dilapidated condition of ancient temples, where the hundi collections are negligible. This is especially true in the case of Tamil Nadu, where many temples face mismanagement, with numerous temples generating minimal revenue and struggling to maintain rituals. Over 1,200 deities have been reported missing or stolen from temples, raising concerns about the preservation of religious artefacts.
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