Amendment to Endowment Act Passed – Freed 30,000 Temples in AP

nov 19th, 2007

sounds like a good thing although i haven't studied it in detail.

need to get all those kerala temples out of the clutches of the devaswom boards which are run by communist ministers.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: v

Congratulations -- this is great news. All of India should use it as a model.

 

 I am forwarding your mail to Hindu Press Intenational folks.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Prakasarao Velagapudi < dharmasanatana@gmail.com>
Date: Nov 20, 2007 12:08 PM
Subject: Amendment to Endowment Act Passed – Freed 30,000 Temples
To: Prakashji Velagapudi < dycusa@gmail.com>, dharmarakshana@gmail.com

 

[GHHF] Amendment to Endowment Act Passed - Freed 30,000 Temples  from the AP government Control; Fight Continues to Free all Hindu Temples

 

Significant VICTORY for

Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samithi and

Global Hindu Heritage Foundation, November 19, 2007.

 

Dear Friends:

 

    It is every Hindu's responsibility to fight for justice, fairness, equality, freedom, independence from the government control of Hindu Temples, their lands and revenues. The Temples should be allowed to be managed by the Hindus themselves. The outrageous discrimination against Hindu must stop. Hindu should take full responsibility to manage their Temples. Every single action counts. Every single person can bring change if we have commitment, faith and determination. We should not be disheartened with roadblocks and hurdles as we take up any task to bring about changes. Success would not come easy. It only comes through hard work, perseverance, patience, resolve, and endurance. Let us all resolve ourselves to do some thing to bring change.

 

As Edward Everett Hale says:

I am only one,

But still I am one.

I cannot do everything,

But still I can do something;

And because I cannot do everything

I will not refuse to do the something that I can do .

 

It is our dharma (duty) to protect the impending danger to Hinduism from within and without. By ignoring and being indifferent, we are encouraging the injustice to prevail, evil to take it's roots, and authoritarianism to prevail in the society.

 

Our greatest treasure, Ramayana talks about our responsibility in Ayodhya Kanda as follows:

If we not fulfill our duty "the ignoble would resemble the noble, and he who is devoid of honor would resemble a man of integrity; he who is unworthy would be deemed worthy and he who is depraved would be considered to be a man of virtue.           Hinduism.  Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda 109.

 

The Passage of the Amendment

 November 19, 2007.

 

The Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments (amendment) bill moved by Endowments Minister J Rathnakar Rao was passed unanimously (UNI reports).

 

The Andhra Pradesh State Assembly has unanimously passed  the Temple Amendment Bill "Hindu Endowments Act"   (Devadaya Savarana Bill). Over 30,000 temples that are seeking Deepam (lamp) and Naivedyam (offering to God) are now out of the control of the Endowment Department (Devalaya Shaka), Andhra Pradesh government. Even the temples with income less than Rupees 2 Lakhs per annum are released from their control.

 

It is for the first time in India that a Dharmic Parishat, an autonomous body consisting of heads of Mathas and Pithas along with Dharmic thought leaders will take charge of the temple affairs.

 

This is a grand victory for the Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samithi (HDPS) and its supporters. Incidentally this has occured on the day that Sri Kamal Kumar and his entourage has reached Hyderabad on this padayatra. This is proof that the Lord himself has participated in this padayatra.

 

This padayatra originated in Basra, Adilabad District (a border town of Mahrashtra and Andhra Pradesh) and will complete at Tirumala-Tirupathi Devasthanam, Chitoor District. The padayatra has covered 760 temples, 6 districts and 1400 kilometers over the past 66 days. He has met over 300,000 people on this padayatra so far.

 

This mail is being sent on behalf of Sri Kamal Kumar Machavolu, General Secretary, Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samithi.

 

About Sri Kamal Kumar:  Sri Kamal Kumar has been spearheading the effort to bring awareness amongst the Hindus, and a change of mind in the government with matters governing the Hindu temples. This padayatra has reached many hearts and woken us from the slumber. Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samithi is supported by several enthusiasts in India, USA, Canada, UK and other countries.

 

(Please read below how the Employees  tried to oppose it)

 

Employees of Endowment Department Opposed

 

http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/18/stories/2007111853290400.htm

 HYDERABAD: November 18, 2007.  Employees of the Endowments Department, serving temples and other religious establishments in the State, went on a pen-down strike for the second day on Saturday, demanding that the Government give up its proposal to amend the existing Endowments Act of 1987.

The Endowments Employees' Welfare Association, which is spearheading the agitation, is of the view that the proposed amendments will work against their interests, apart from jeopardising the system of maintaining the temples in the State.

The association president and general secretary, K. Shobharani and B. Krupavaram, said they would organise a 'Chalo Assembly' on Monday when the Bill seeking to amend the Act was expected to be passed in the House.

They said one of the amendments is aimed at reviving a Section scrapped earlier. Once this was revived, a total of 32,558 temples whose annual income was below Rs 5 lakhs, would to archakas as a "hereditary right" together with the funds accruing through hundi/ plate collections, arjita seva/tonsuring fees, darshan tickets etc. Another change would seek to pay salaries to employees through a welfare fund and not through Treasuries as now.

They said if the hereditary system came in, no opportunity would be available to other archaka families in the State.

Even trustees would claim hereditary rights as the definition of "founder" (of temple) was sought to be changed.

M. V. Soundara Rajan, vice-president, Andhra Pradesh Archaka Samakhya, on the other hand, described the Bill as "excellent" as the amendments had been proposed after taking into consideration, the ground realities of the temple maintenance.

He said the existing Act had "grossly failed" to protect temple system.

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INVITATION TO PUBLIC FORUM
 
            You are cordially invited to participate in the Public Forum which will take place on January 25, 2008 in Tirupathi, the abode of Lord Venkateswara Temple
 
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                                                http://savetemples.org
FORWARD.
           
            Please FORWARD this information to your circle of Friends and seek their support and participation in the movement
 
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            Please call us if you have any questions or need clarification on Pada Yatra to awaken the Consciousness of all Hindus about the government's plans to dismantle the Hindu Temples and culture.
 
Dhanyavad,
 
Global Hindu Heritage Foundation
 
V. V. Prakasa Rao, Ph.D;                   601-918-7111 Cell;  601-856-4783 Home
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