New Delhi: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Thursday said it has set up a think tank comprising retired judges of Supreme Court and high courts, eminent lawyers, Hindu seers to suggest measures to free the Hindu temples from government control and to manage them.
It also announced a countrywide public awakening campaign to free Hindu temples from control of state governments.
“All the state governments should now detach themselves from the control, management and daily works of temples because their such activities are discriminatory towards the Hindu society,” VHP organising general secretary Milind Parande said, giving information regarding the campaign.
Before handing over the temples to the Hindu society, the VHP functionary further called for the removal of “all non-Hindus employed in temples and endowment departments”.
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“Only practising Hindus with faith should be employed in the worship, offerings and service of God. No politician or person associated with any political party should be appointed on the Trust Boards and management of temples,” Parande added.
The VHP has also demanded that only Hindus should have shops inside and outside the temples. “All encroachments and constructions made by non-Hindus and all encroachments and illegal constructions whatsoever on temple lands should be removed. The income of temples should be spent only for the propagation of Hindu Dharma, service to the society and related issues, never on government works.”
A ‘Dharmic council’, according to Parande, would be constituted at the state-level comprising persons occupying constitutional posts, Dharmacharyas, retired judges and retired government officials and other eminent people of the society who are experts in Hindu scriptures and Aagam Shaastras and rituals to manage temples.
“These state-level councils would elect the district level councils which in turn will choose the trustees of the local temples in which various sections of the society along with scheduled castes and tribes would participate. A process will be decided for resolving disputes,” he added.
Last week, a VHP delegation met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and handed over a draft of a proposed law to him for his consideration. “We are also having similar discussions with other state governments and various political parties,” Parande said.
He further said that work of management and control of temples should be handed over “to the devoted and capable people of the Hindu society”.
“To address this, we have formed a think tank comprising of eminent lawyers of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, retired Chief Justices of High Courts, revered leading figures of the Sant Samaj and karyakartas (workers) of VHP, who have prepared a draft after studying the protocols of management of temples and to resolve any kind of dispute related to it,” Parande said.
“It has also been kept in view as to when the governments return the temples to the society, what would be the protocols to accept it and under what provisions.”
The VHP functionary said that the “call for liberation” of temples from government control will be given from Vijayawada on 5 January.
“The call for this all-Bharat campaign will be given in a special and huge gathering of lakhs of people called ‘Haindava Shankhaaraavam’ to be organised in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. It is unfortunate that after the country’s independence, the anti-Hindu work which should have been stopped, that is, the temples should have been handed over to the Hindu society, many state governments instead, one after another, ignored Articles 12, 25 and 26 of the Constitution of Bharat!”
“When no mosque or church is under their control, then why this discrimination against Hindus? Despite clear indications given by many Hon’ble High Courts and the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the governments kept occupying and subjugating the management and properties of temples,” he alleged.
Earlier this year, on 24 September, the VHP had submitted a memorandum to the Governors of all the states requesting the governments to withdraw from the management of temples.
Meanwhile, Parande said that the “current situation wouldn’t have emerged if we would have got what was demanded way back in 1984 (Mathura-Kashi-Ayodhya)”. He was replying to a question on his views regarding the recent statement by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, who expressed concern over the resurgence of temple-mosque disputes and also pointed out that no one will become a “leader of Hindus” by fanning communal divide.
Bhagwat’s statement has to be looked into in its entirety, the VHP functionary said.
“I have only said that his statement is similar to what he has said in the past about Kashi Mathura also. And, therefore, his statement should be seen in that light. If we talk out of context, it will lead to a mess. It should not be taken out of context, overall there is a context…His statement should be seen in that light,” he said.
“In 1984 itself it was said that ‘bhai ye teen de do to baki vishay shant ho jyega’ (give us these three temples and rest of the issues will not arise). This was said in 1984. Now it is almost 2025 and even now this hasn’t happened…So the kind of anger that is being seen could possibly be an important reason,” he added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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