Through the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act, Hindu temples and Maths are taken over by state Governments in the name of better administration, while mosques and churches are completely autonomous. This Act allowed the state governments and politicians complete control over the temples and their property. Many abuses are committed by multiple state governments using the power accorded through this Act.
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 are 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, is occurring all over Andhra Pradesh.
Even the world famous sacred temple at Tirumala-Tirupati is not spared. The government attempted to take over 5 out of 7 Tirumala hills for churches and tourism. The 1000 pillar Mantapam in Tirumala 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.
RE:Hindus should not vote for Congress
by Neutral on Oct 31, 2007 06:37 PM Permalink
The Andhra Pradesh government also allowed the demolition of at least 10 temples for the construction of a golf course. The son of the Chief Minister even blew up the Sunkulamma Hindu Temple in Anantapur, and his brother Vivekananda Reddy, 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 Hindu institutions.
Temples and Maths that did not earlier come under government supervision are taken into government control for selling away their lands. The charge that 85 percent of the revenues is taken by the state exchequer was not denied by the state government. 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 in general across India.
RE:Hindus should not vote for Congress
by Manish Airy on Oct 31, 2007 07:02 PM Permalink
Hindus need to assert themselves now & in every election Hindus must unite to vote against Congress to avoid "India becoming Islamic Republic of India". Come on "Hindus Chak de India"
RE:Hindus should not vote for Congress
by Neutral on Oct 31, 2007 06:41 PM Permalink
In Karnataka, for example, in 2003, as reported by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and in %u201CIndia Today%u201D, 79 crores ($790,000,000) was collected from about two lakh (200,000) temples. From that, temples received 7 crores ($70,000,000) for their maintenance, Muslim Madrassas and Haj subsidy (for trip to Mecca) was given 59 crores, and churches about 13 crores. Twenty-five percent of the two lakh temples i.e., about 50,000 in Karnataka, will be closed down for lack of resources.
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. With a new Devaswom ordinance 1800 new temples are taken under government control. 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 56 percent Hindu population, it hardly controls 25 percent of the economy.
RE:Hindus should not vote for Congress
by Neutral on Oct 31, 2007 06:42 PM Permalink
In Maharashtra, the government recently declared to take over all the temples. This is a precursor to repeat the process already happening in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution 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 "Hajj" 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
RE:Hindus should not vote for Congress
by Neutral on Oct 31, 2007 06:43 PM Permalink
It is obvious that the current laws in the country are discriminatory towards Hindu religious institutions and it is important that Hindus demand that the government accord Hindu institutions the same status as Muslim and Christian institutions. The existence of the Hindu majority of India is being threatened in their own homeland. Selfish politicians are bent on destroying the Vedic Dharma and its culture that goes back thousands of years. Mahatma Gandhi who fought all of his life for social justice and religious tolerance called religious conversions by missionaries the deadliest poison that ever sapped the fountain of truth.
Readers are requested not to merely stand by and hope that nothing will happen to Hindu Vedic Dharma. One thousand years of foreign rule has resulted in loss of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangla Desh, and the cultural loss of Kashmir. Today a half-million Kashmiri pandits are living as refuges in their own mother land for more than a decade and are dying in large numbers. There has also been the cultural loss of the four states of northeast India which were a Hindu majority as recently as 1948. Next in line for losing its traditional culture is Andhra Pradesh.
RE:Hindus should not vote for Congress
by Neutral on Oct 31, 2007 06:44 PM Permalink
Hindus who are complacent need to understand the consequences if the current situation continues. Missionaries with the help of leftists and crooked politicians, pseudo-secularists, working in a democracy with a highly corrupt political system, a culturally deprived intelligentsia, with billions of dollars and little scruples, have the potential to convert a majority of India=s population away from the culture of their homeland in just a few years. This, along with vote bank politics, can result in complete marginalization of Hindus and the division of India. In such a situation, those who do not convert will be at an enormous disadvantage economically and spiritually. Any Hindu or Dharmist who is more concerned with himself, his family and his own personal advancement over and above his contribution to his society and culture, only decreases the future well-being of them and its traditions, and reduces his own participation in securing a positive future for them.
RE:Hindus should not vote for Congress
by Neutral on Oct 31, 2007 06:45 PM Permalink
It is time for all Hindus and supporters of Vedic culture to stand strong for Dharma and to unite and work together to preserve and protect their culture by consolidating their votes to remove those politicians who are not supportive of Vedic Dharma, and to bring in those who are. We must remove all superficial differences among the numerous Hindu organizations and realize that without a unified platform, all forms of discord will be taken advantage of by those who work against us and wish to see the demise of Vedic culture. This must never happen, and we can all work together to prevent it. Now is the time to work together more than ever.
