DMK Removes Encroachments From Temple Land Worth Rs 5,381 cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently accused the Tamil Nadu government of “encroaching” state temples. At a rally held in Nizamabad, Telangana, last week, Modi alleged that the state government is “lotting” and “Capturing” temples.

However, facts prove otherwise. The state’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) minister PK Sekar Babu said on Monday said that more than “5,700 acres of temple land encroached by various individuals, including from the BJP, were recovered” since the DMK came to power in May 2021.

The value of the land cleared of encroachments is Rs 5,381.65 crore, he said. “Nine properties worth Rs 700 crore were recovered from people who want temples to be under private control,” he said referring to the BJP.

Advocate PS Shankar, vice-president of the BJP’s state spiritual and temple development wing, “constructed” a two-storey building, office and a godown on 25,247 sq ft belonging to the Ammani Amman mutt in Tiruvannamalai. The construction was rented out for commercial purposes until the HR & CE retrieved the land in March.

Similarly, a member of the Hindu Maha Sabha, Srikandan, “occupied 1,399 sq ft from the Kanchipuram Ekambaranathar temple land, along the Poonamallee High Road, Chennai.

BJP member Surya Narayanan “occupied 112 sq ft of the same temple land”. The HR&CE department retrieved the land and decided to raise a compound wall to prevent future encroachments.

The department also retrieved 1.8 acres worth Rs 100 crore of the Cuddalore Panruti Nagar Gurulakshmi Ammal Arakattalai, “occupied” by BJP member Ramachandran.

Besides, 5,392 sq ft worth Rs 10 crore of the Muthukumaraswamy temple, on Thambu Chetty Street, Chennai, was retrieved from BJP member Arumugam.

Moreover, the Madras High Court last month directed two BJP MLAs in Puducherry and four of their family members to forthwith return a temple property.

All these temples were built on common funds and are not private properties.

BJP’S DOUBLE STANDARDS

K Kanagaraj, state secretariat member of the CPI(M), who has closely following the ‘free temples’ campaign, raised the question why the BJP does not demand free temples in other states.

In an article published in the Theekkathir newspaper on October 6, Kanagaraj wrote: “In many states, temples are under government control. Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Odisha and Puducherry have enacted separate laws for the management of temples. Puducherry is ruled by the BJP. Till recently, the BJP was in power in Karnataka, but no efforts were made to free temples from government control in these places.”

He further wrote: “In some states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Public Trust Act monitors the management of Hindu religious institutions and temples. The BJP is in power in the former three states and was in power in Rajasthan for many years. The Sangh Parivar has never raised its voice to free temples from government control in those states.”

He alleged that the “BJP is spreading the propaganda that their members will not steal temple property because they are spiritualists”.

To say that the DMK government is occupying temple land is “due to anger because the government has removed their [BJP] encroachments” he wrote.

DMK GOVT INCREASED BUDGET

Although the DMK is an off-spring of the Periyar-led Dravidian movement, which upheld atheism, the present government has increased allocation for temples.

In the 2023-24 Budget, Rs 100 crore was allocated for renovating 714 temples more than 1,000 years old.

The Oru Kala Pooja (one-time ritual) scheme was extended to 2,000 more financially weak temples with a grant of Rs 200 crore. Besides, Rs 50 crore was granted for improving amenities for Rameswaram devotees.

Many 100-year-old small temples abandoned by the trustees due to lack of funds have also been brought under the HR & CE department.

As many as 44,121 temples in Tamil Nadu are under the HR & CE department and consecration ceremonies were conducted at 1,077 with government funds in the past two years.

STATE MISUSING TEMPLE FUNDS?

Besides the claim of looting temple land, right-wing groups have accused the Tamil Nadu government of misusing temples funds.

“Temple funds being diverted to other purposes is a blatant Goebbels propaganda. The government does not use any income from temples for any other purpose. The law is that it cannot be used as such. A maximum of 16% of gross income can be taken for employee salary,” said Kanagaraj.

“All bills, donations, offerings, fees and other income are credited to ‘Account A’. The amount demanded by the administrative officer for the total expenses required for the temple works every month is transferred from this account A to account B. This is how the money is withdrawn every month for expenses.”

The right wing is spreading the ‘free temples’ campaign from many platforms such as the Hindu Maha Sabha, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Seva Bharathi, Alaya Munnetra Sangam and Haindava Seva Sangam.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Platform for People’s Unity gave a call to save temples from private players and divisive hands.

The DMK government’s strict action has affected poor people living on temple lands and maintaining the properties. The Tamil Nadu All Religious Land Holdings Lessees/Tenants Protection Association has urged the state government to go soft on them.