Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while campaigning in Telangana, said in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, the temples have been captured by the State government. He said temples under the control of the government, have been looted. He questioned why the government was not touching places of worship belonging to the minorities.
Mr. Modi was referring to the fact that many ancient temples in Tamil Nadu are being administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE).
This demand to free temples from government control is not of recent origin. Way back in the 19th century, when there was an attempt to regulate temple endowments, there was opposition to it. When the HR&CE Act was passed in the 1950s, there was opposition and it underwent several amendments, before it took effect.
But, in recent years, this campaign has gained some momentum, not just with individuals, but also with spiritual gurus, calling for “freeing temples from government control”. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has accused the PM of slander and lies and said it was not acceptable to spread false news about one State while campaigning in another.
Should temples be under the State control? What is the way forward?
Script and presentation: D. Suresh Kumar
Production: Shibu Narayan
Videography: Thamodharan Bharath
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