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White Paper on Plight of Hindu Temples in India |
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Government Control of Hindu Temples of India: A Blatant Violation of Secularism and Religions Freedom (Compiled by Foundation for Religious Freedom - FRF in 2007) Both India and America are secular democracies in the sense that both have constitutions that prohibit the government from establishing a state religion or interfering with religious organizations. But there the similarity ends. While America more or less scrupulously adheres to the separation of church and state, in India the picture is dramatically different.
Not too many Indians are aware that even though India is officially a secular democracy, state governments in India can take over Hindu temples and their properties, can appoint the people who will run temple committees and operations, and can take away hundi collections and other donations from temples and use them even for non-Hindu purposes. And they have been doing this for almost six decades now all over India.
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Details of plight of Hindu Temples in Andhra Pradesh(Eenadu Interview) |
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Plight of Hindu Temples in Andhra Pradesh (From Eenadu TV Interview coverage in 2007) Some Highlights Total Temple Lands: 420,000 acres Total number of temples under Govt: 34,443 87% of Temples (30,000 temples) under Government control cannot even afford Dhoopa, Deepa, Naivedyam. 20% of Temples Lands (80,845 acres) are encroached mostly by political patronages. 40% (167,000 acres) are leased mostly by politicians under fictitious names paying Rs 3 to Rs 40 per annum. Number of court cases: 6547
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