Not recently, but two months back a issue has gained the nation’s attention in which a elected Chief Minister has accused the earlier government for using the low quality materials (and adding materials derived from animal fat) in manufacturing the prasadam which was made for the devotee’s consumption. The issues has gotten so much media attention as Hindutva politics especially the Sanatan Dharma has become politically lucrative and the temple in which the incident has happened is the biggest temples in India in terms of revenue generation. The Thirumala Thirupati Devasthanam (TTD) which has the administrative control over the Shri Venkateshwara Temple premises in the temple town Thirupati is one of the biggest administration body as it funds the other Hindutva temples across the World as they even run the temples in USA!!! When the accusations were made, the issues has became a serious matter and the multiple short-term intellectuals have started demanded for seperation of temples administration from the state-control and transferring those powers to the independent bodies like Trusts and Boards. They demand this to remove the government control over the temples and its properties (including income management) and in turn avoid any such mishaps in day-to-day functioning of temple rituals.
But I was of the opinion that the removal of temples from the control of the state and transferring them to the individual bodies whose leadership is restricted to few unelected individuals is just the PRIVATISATION in a different form. My understanding of the these Trusts and Bodies is not ultimate, but I was sure of the opinion that the leadership of these institutions is limited to few unelected individuals who will be appointed with the influence. Of course the current Chairmanship of the TTD is also made using the appointment by the state government to those in favour, but what differs in the arrangement is the accountability to the people. The argument demanding the privatisation of the temples is made in just anger and without any serious thought as the they will loose the rights to the exact same things for which they are fighting for like the quality and the accessibility.
What these people demand most is the universalisation of the state control over the religious institutions. They are angry with the concept that only the Hindu institutions are under the control of the state while the other religions like Christianity and Islam are governed by their respective independent religious bodies and even receives the support from state without transferring the absolute control. I understand their point there. So the demand should be to include them also the under the purview of the state rather and asking for the privatisation. Why I feel that the Hindu temples are under the control of the state while the other religious institutions are due to the historical support. Before the formation of formal democratic state when the land is divided and ruled by respective local landlords (famous as Kings), the Hinduism is the sole (or major) religion which is propagated by these rulers to unite and educate the society. These rulers have funded the religious education and the Veda traditions which includes the temple management using their intermediaries (Brahmins) while still having the relative control over the institution by heading all the events (This is the reason why the dependents of the royal families are still considered as the ceremonial heads for the religious events in the Hindu programs).
So the protesters should demand a better governance of the temples and the should demand the inclusion of other religious institutions under the purview of the government to ensure the quality services to the people.
