Plea seeks handing over of temple admin to hereditary trustees

The Madras High Court today adjourned by two weeks a PIL seeking recalling of Executive Officers from Hindu temples and handing over of administration to hereditary trustees for better functioning.
The first bench comprising Chief Justice R K Agrawal andJustice K Ravichandra Babu adjourned the PIL filed by socialactivist K R Ramasamy for two weeks to enable the authoritiesto reply.
The petitioner said he had already sent a representationto the authorities on January 25 this year to "save" HinduTemples from the "clutches" of Commissioner, HR&CE Departmentand Secretary to Tamil Nadu Government, Home Department.
He submitted that the government managing only Hindu religious institutions is a question causing him concern. He also submitted that properties and resources of other religious institutions, though substantial, are much less by comparison.

Ramasamy said that when all citizens in India are guaranteed the same religious rights, only Hindu religious Institutions are subjected to total government control. He also stated that besides not realising the true income of temple properties, HR&CE officials have caused "irreparable damage" to Hindu religious, cultural and heritage sites of Tamil Nadu, about 400 of which are more than 1,500 years' old.
He alleged the Department has completely commercialisedtemples with shops and modern offices in temple properties. He further submitted that every temple has to be managed by the hereditary trustees, whose families have safeguarded and preserved the temples for centuries. But the government bypassed the trustees and made them subordinate to Executive officers.

Ramasamy alleged that the Government's interference goes to the extent of deciding how many bananas and coconuts can be offered to the deity at what time of the day and at what cost.
He also charged that the government is nowadays deciding at which spot "yagnas" are to be conducted and in which language archanas can take place and that Governments have deliberately desecrated the temple premises and corrupted rituals, traditions and worship.
Therefore in the interest of religious rights of Hindus,he had made representations to the authorities of HR&CE on January 9, 2014 and Jan 25 to recall EOs appointed by them, which is against the principles of the Constitution. But there was no reply from the government, he said.