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Open Letter to BJP President and BJP’s CM of Karnataka
Demolition of 5000 Temples by BJP Government in
Karnataka
Subject: (A) Stop destruction of temples
under pretext of SC verdict; (B) Restore religious freedom by de-nationalizing
temples and handing over their management to Hindu boards.
Aadarniya Shri Nadkari ji, President, BJP,
Hon’ble CM Yeddyurappa of Karnataka; and
Respected Hindu Nationalists and Activists
The Hindus and proponents of religious freedom throughout the world have been
shocked and dismayed by the fact that the BJP run Karnataka Govt. without asking
for a review or filing an appeal to challenge the questionable verdict of the
Indian SC has decided to go forward and demolish some 5,000 temples in the state
by 31st
December 2010.
(Attachment A) As the caretaker and custodian of these temples the Govt. was
supposed to maintain and promote their interests; instead it has shamelessly
chosen to become the instrument of their liquidation. These temples are alleged
to have been built on public lands and the authorities without bothering to
ascertain the opinion of the concerned electorate has not even cared to present
a reasonable plan for their relocation.
One hundred temples have already been destroyed.
On the other hand not even a single mosque or church has been touched by the
Govt. though hundreds of them stand on public lands. Additionally the Govt. has
been diverting Temple’s funds and lands under its control for other than Hindu-
religious purposes. With the current culture of growing financial and
political corruption as evidenced by the 2G spectrum and Common Wealth games (CWG)
scams and non- transparency in the governance of the Hindu Institutions under
Endowments dept. there is a deep apprehension of their exploitation, abuse &
misuse. Accordingly it would be highly desirable if the temples under the axe
are allowed to function in lieu of the ones made dysfunctional or demolished and
whose lands have been misused or misappropriated under unconstitutional official
decrees. When officials divert huge sums of money for unconstitutional largesse
- Hajj subsidies, building Hajj houses and Imams salaries at tax payer’s expense
why can’t they allow the threatened temples function where they are or move them
to alternate sites at Govt. expense?
1) It appears that there is a deliberate
official effort to demolish Hindu religious infrastructure. It must be noted
that
The Karnataka state in
the recent past has been squeezing the life out of Temples by siphoning off
their revenue to promote adversarial religions
– In
the year 2002-2003, out of Rs 79 crores of temple revenues, Rs. 59.15 crores was
given away to mosques, Madrasas, Hajj, etc., Rs. 12.75 crores was given to
Christian institutions and a mere Rs. 7.1 crores were allocated to
maintain over 248,000 temples. Such discrimination against Hindus and religious
patronage for Muslims and Christians is highly questionable, illegal and
provocative to a billion Hindus worldwide. During the five
years of the report from 1997 to 2002 some 19,000 temples closed in Karnataka.
Clearly a solid proof of Shocking Reverse
Discrimination:
How discriminatory and constitutionally unsound it is that on the one hand the
Indian Govt. subsidizes the "Hajj" pilgrimage of the Muslims to the tune of Rs.
800 crores annually, provides Rs. 1000 crores per year for Imams salaries, and
reservations in jobs and educational institutions are made on the basis of
religious minority status, but on the other hand the Karnataka authorities are
crusading to destroy the self- supporting foundations and structures of Hindu
places of worship by financial strangulation and diverting funds to adversarial
religions, thus effectively demolishing the Hindu religious infrastructure.
2) The Karnataka
High Court upheld the obvious Constitutional mandate by striking down the
Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act, 1997
terming it unconstitutional.
The verdict
concluded that the legislation violated Articles 14, 25 and 26 of the
Constitution which provided for right to equality, freedom of conscience and
freedom of profession, practice and propagation of religion and also the freedom
to manage the religious affairs. It is understood that the Committee appointed
by the Govt. and headed by the former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana
High Court, Shri Rama Jois, to review the Endowment legislation, has submitted
its recommendations. But the Govt. has neglected to implement the High Court
verdict and even kept the recommendation of the Rama Jois committee secret, to
keep temples under its control (Ref 1, 2).
3) Further, Vital Functions of temples are denied under Govt. control:
The temples are not just for rituals by purohits and objects of tourism as the
endowments department would have us believe, but also the centers of community's
socio-cultural and religious life, a place of learning with Acharya, for
community sewa, dharma prachar and for character building. The exposition of the
grandeur of Hinduism - its Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, the
Bhagwad Geeta - its glorious ancient culture, spirituality and values that the
community would like to project and propagate - are not only being denied by
state control, but the deliberate and irreversible Govt. actions in liquidating
resources of endowments meant for sustenance in perpetuity could stop these for
good.
Professedly 'Secular' Karnataka penalizes
Hinduism and patronizes Christianity at a great cost to the exchequer:
By imposing Govt. control the state authorities are virtually demolishing Hindu
religious infrastructure and thereby Hinduism itself. Yet they go out of the way
to encourage evangelization - a case in point is Govt. providing facilities to
Priest Benny Hinn, with an avowed aim of mass conversions, at the State
government's Jakkur Airfield Training Ground on January 21-23, 2005 (Ref 1).
4) It is a matter of national shame that even after 60 years of independence,
Hindus are denied human right to religious freedom :
The Hindu world is baffled and indignant as to why it is denied the right to
govern temples under autonomous Hindu Boards under the guidance of religious
leaders, a practice prevalent and allowed to other religious
formations. Indeed it may be the time for Nationalists to follow Lord Krishna's
message in the Geeta for launching the "dharma raksha" and "dharma samsthapana"
campaigns.
5) Hon’ble BJP President, CM of Karnataka and Respected Hindu Nationalists and
Activists:
May we request you to approach the Supreme Court
for staying its order till the issue is examined afresh. It is more than
possible that some of the temples may have been built before the partition of
India, in which case the Parliament’s Act that the status of religious places
will remain the same as on August 15, 1947 (or similar language to that effect)
will be applicable and thus would be protected. Any lack of concern
towards the resolution of such emotionally religious and sensitive issues by the
BJP leadership which aspires to rule India can hardly earn the party an
enthusiastic and sustainable support of the Hindu masses. The continuation of
policies that shackle, humiliate and debilitate Hinduism under the BJP rule
should be unthinkable unless it has embraced Rahul Gandhi’s anti-Hindu perverted
philosophy. It should also be noted that some minority religionists, with
foreign instigation, inspiration and funds are building mosques and churches by
the thousands.
We must also remind the BJP that denationalization of temples was one of the
important points in its Agenda in 2009 elections, which seems to have been
forgotten and not implemented in BJP ruled states, leading to the impression
that its promises cannot be taken seriously. BJP’s talk of Hindutva and building
of Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya would remain unconvincing if non-contentious
issues like protection and de-nationalization of temples are not taken
seriously. Such a rational, legal and justifiable policy will obviously have
influence upon many other states that have also illegally taken control of
temples and are literally robbing the offerings and assets donated by the
believers. Such a proactive action could lead to a favorable view of the BJP in
future elections. In view of these objectives and above all the objective of
“equal justice for all” we hope you will give top priority to the issue of
stopping the Karnataka Govt. for committing an unpardonable blunder by employing
official domain for destroying these 5,000 temples thereby shaking for good the
very foundations of Hinduism in the state.
Thanks for your time and consideration and hoping for a speedy action &
response.
Dr. Jagan Kaul & Krishan Bhatnagar
Hindu Jagran Forum (USA)
December 19, 2010
References:
1)
Karnataka: Congrats CM Yeddyurappa:
Please Liberate Hindu temples .....(June 11, 2008),
www.bharatjagran.com
2)
Karnataka - Hon'ble CM
: Set up Hindu Advisory Councils for Temple
Management ..... (July 02, 2007),
www.bharatjagran.com
=======================
Attachment A
BJP Government in Karnataka to demolish 5000
temples !
100 temples demolished till now
December 15, 2010
Margashirsha Shukla Navami, KAliyug
Varrsha 5112
Are the pro-Hindu organizations going to say
something in protest or going to keep mum as usual ?
Bangalore (Karnataka): Karnataka Government
will be demolishing 5000 so-called unauthorized places of worship as a measure
to implement the order issued by the Supreme Court. The temples to be demolished
are 5000 including 1213 temples, 55 mosques, 17 churches and 4 Gurudwaras from
Bangalore District. In South Canara District, there are 640 temples, 151
mosques, 32 churches and 10 Gurudwaras proposed to be demolished whereas in
Bangalore city, there are 442 temples, 38 mosques and 95 churches and in
Ramnagar District, there are 3 temples proposed to be demolished.
In September 2009, the Supreme Court had issued
an order to prepare a list of worship places built at public places which are to
be demolished by 31st December 2010. The Government has demolished more than 100
temples till now. (The Supreme Court has
so far passed many verdicts in the interest of the nation and people; but none
of the verdicts has been so promptly implemented; an example of the same is
death sentence given to Mohammad Afzal. Some of the verdicts passed by the
Supreme Court like in Shahabano case, was changed so as not to hurt minorities;
then why the Government is showing such promptness in demolishing temples? It is
only because Hindus are not united that the Government suppresses their
sentiments ! – Editor SP)
Source:
Daily Sanatan Prabhat
http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/10921.html
Read all such news here
http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/category/save-temples/karnataka-temple-demolition
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