Hindu spiritual leaders to seek exit of govts from temple management

According to a release from the Hindu Dharmacharya Sabha, issues related to “challenges facing the Hindu community” were discussed where the religious heads felt that the content on social media, OTT (platforms) and films were spreading distorted information on Sanatan Dharma and “perverted sexual content”, leading to crimes against women.

“There is strong need to ensure the youth are educated on the true meaning and practices of Sanatana Dharma,” they said.

The congregation also felt that money of Hindu temples be for “Hindu causes only”. The release said, “Many ancient temples with enormous properties have been (taken) over by state governments and the funds are mostly misused. Acharya Sabha desires that Government exit temples and allow the communities to manage them as has been done for several centuries.”

According to the congregation, “There is a gradual erosion of fundamental rights under the Constitution while similar rights, specifically for establishing and managing charitable & educational institutions are extended to minorities.”

Pushing the government to expedite the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the sabha felt that “only Hindu social practices have been ‘reformed’ and codified under laws, with punishment under IPC. Allowing such discriminatory laws among different communities is anti-constitution and anti women’s rights”.

The congregation also protested the “notion” that “Hinduism is a way of life” and said “it did not do justice to the vast body of knowledge”.

Sources said that the content on OTT platforms remained a key focus of the sabha. “The saints were concerned about the content being against Indian culture,” said sources adding that “(the union minister) Amitbhai Shah was in town so he attended”.

The sabha also recommended that parents be “educated” to provide “quality time to children” and “restrict screen time for children”.

This was the eighth Hindu Acharya Dharma Sabha where over 65 heads of religious sects “more than 200 years old” from all over the country attended the biennial event that concluded Monday.
The release described the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha as “the apex body to voice the concerns of Hindus and to provide leadership to Hindus the world over was brought into being in 2002”. Swami Paramatmananda Saraswati is the managing trustee of the sabha.