Tamil Nadu HRCE minister Sekar Babu has said that the government plans to build educational institutions in temple lands. As the anti-Hindu DMK government is looking to meddle in temple affairs by appointing pujaris in contradiction to sampradaya and threatening to stop reciting sanskrit mantras to replace them with Tamil hymns, the announcement has made Hindus wary.
While speaking to the media the minister said that CM MK.Stalin has stressed on using the “temple lands retrieved from encroachers for the benefit of the society”. He also said that the institutions built on temple lands will ensure a steady income for the temples. Considering the DMK government’s actions in the past 3 months when it comes to temples, the minister’s comments have made Hindu activists wary.
To begin with, as soon as DMK assumed power the minister said that people who have built houses encroaching temple lands will be accepted as renters if they come forward to pay rent. There is also the issue of giving patta to the encroachers which was promised by DMK in its manifesto. Then he revealed the DMK government’s intention to bring Chidambaram Nataraja temple whose hereditary guardians the Podhu Deekshithars won a case against government takeover in the Supreme Court.
Apart from this DMK government is eager to replace the hereditary pujaris with non hereditary and women pujaris in the name of socialism. As the SC ruling gives protection to temples that are based on Agamas and specific sampradayas this is expected to affect Kula Devata and village temples run by non-Brahmins.
Later he also revealed the government’s plans to melt 2000kg gold ornaments donated to temples and deposit it under the Gold Monetisation Scheme. In another shocking move, houses with heritage value around Mylapore Kapaleeswarar temple are to be razed and HRCE is planning to build shopping complex in that space. Minister Sekar Babu while addressing the media in July called educational institutions run by temples under HRCE control as “government owned institutions’.
It is this track record which has made Hindus wonder about the real intention of the minister and his government in building new educational institutions on temple lands to fetch them income. Aravindalochanan, Managing Trustee of Indic Collective Trust says, “Chidambaram judgment made it clear that HRCE is present in a temple to clear a particular mismanagement. The widespread retrieval of encroached lands in recent times shows that HRCE itself has done nothing but mismanagement. Temple is a socio-spiritual place for Hindus and not a profit making institution. So the attitude of the move itself is wrong as these people don’t understand the reason behind the existence of temples”.
He observes that it would be immoral and illegal to establish them as secular institutions and the way the HRCE minister said ‘government owned institutions’ gives a preview of what’s to come. It ticks all the boxes to be another method of looting temple wealth. It is pertinent to remember here that the Annadana scheme for Covid-19 affected, introduced by HRCE was touted as a party affair across TN with the pictures of MK.Stalin and his son on the food packets.
So one cannot help but question who will be admitted and employed in such institutions as they are going to be run by HRCE. Will it admit and employ Hindu hating abrahamics?, one cannot help but wonder. Will it employ self-loathing Hindus who will further produce a more self-loathing generation? Will Hindu religious scriptures and values be taught in them or will the Quran and Bible be read in assemblies?, the doubt does arise. Will they tie up with NGOs with anti-Hindu agenda to teach ‘social justice’, ‘equality’, ‘child rights’, etc, like government schools and colleges do?
It is necessary to answer these questions as Hindus are treated partially when it comes to establishing educational institutions thanks to the 93rd amendment. HRCE has no rights, either legally or morally, to establish educational institutions on temple lands using temple money and any such attempt should be fought tooth and nail.
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