Opinion Temple administration

“Singling out Hindu temples for government takeover is discriminatory,violates principles of secularism,and deprives the Hindu community of their constitutional rights (Articles 25 and 26) to manage their own religious affairs without government interference,” he argues. He lists several well-known Hindu temples that are under government control.

“Devotees make donations to Hindu temples with earnest hope that donations will be used not only for proper upkeep of temples,but also to impart religious education to their children,propagate true Hindu religion and provide better facilities to pilgrims,” Gupta adds,alleging that “many state governments are not using the income from Hindu temples exclusively for the cause of temples and Hindu religion,and keep diverting temple earnings into general budgets and misusing temple earnings for non-Hindu purposes,leaving many Hindu temples in dilapidated conditions.”

He claims that only 15 per cent of the Tirupati temple income of Rs 3,500 crore a year is “reported to be spent on this temple and rest,that is,about Rs 3,000 crore,is diverted every year by the state government of Andhra Pradesh to non-Hindu purposes,leaving Hindu priests poorly paid and Hindu pilgrims poorly looked after in terms of travel infrastructure.”

He concludes with the demand that “independent boards comprising of Hindus directly elected by Hindus alone must govern all Hindu temples and shrines as is the case with places of worship of other communities.” For this purpose,he suggests “a uniform Central law providing for boards elected by Hindus should be enacted so that Hindu temples could be liberated from clutches of secular governments.”

State of the union

Hasubhai Dave,a former president of the Sangh Parivar labour organisation,the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh,has written an article in Organiser on the changing role of trade unions. He looks back on a time when trade union activity included strikes,agitations,processions and demonstrations. “It became so undisciplined that it proved to be an impediment in industrial development and peace,” he recalls. “Right from the beginning,the labour movement was influenced by some external think-tanks,” he says. “So,workers were not loyal to the industry or the nation’s interest,” he adds. “No wonder then that their slogan was: fulfill our demands,whatever the cost (hamari mangen poori hon,chahe jo majboori ho).”

However,he says,in the current situation — marked by unemployment,job insecurity,escalating poverty,divisions among workers,privatisation and closure of many small as well as large units — a change in the role of labour unions is the need of hour. Trade union leaders have to adopt a constructive role and resolve issues through discussions and maintain industrial peace,keeping in mind production and productivity. Unions have to inculcate a sense of duty to work,and industries have to take care of workers’ rights,social security and share profits,says the article.

Remote control

An article in Panchajanya,by Ramesh Nayyar,calls for a frontal strike on the corrupt system. “The whole system has become so shallow due to corruption that the whole country can fall apart,” he says. Nayyar has made a strong case against the government’s proposed policy on private television channels,one he describes as “holding them by the neck”. According to Nayyar,the government wants to “stifle the media” and create doubts about opposition leaders.

Compiled by Pradeep Kaushal