Jaggi Vasudev is a publicity hound: Palanivel Thiagarajan

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I am not well versed with all the laws. How do the churches and Mosques operate. Can Hindu temples operate on the same set of laws. What new law is needed? Any laws passed must be same to all sets of believers and not single anyone out,

"Good manners are the glue that holds society together, but laws are the nails that hold the frame." This reflects the idea that societal mores, or norms and customs, provide the softer social cohesion, while laws serve as enforceable structures to maintain order.

A famous quote is from Montesquieu: "Useless laws weaken the necessary ones." This highlights the delicate balance required between societal norms and formal legislation.

One more thought and it is a quote that goes something like "If societal mores and values decline, the enforcement of laws becomes impossible." This reflects the principle that laws rely heavily on a foundation of shared moral and ethical norms within society to function effectively.

Temples will do fine, they will self regulate with minimal laws. If corruption is too high the institution will have a natural death

Personal uncodified law at large. There are other acts for religious institutions, but at large, they are not as effective- one of the main issues with Indian law at present.

I do partially agree on equality of the laws but I think it should be in the range of equity instead of equality. This is as religions of Indian origin function quite differently from the Abrahamic faith. Therefore, we should have equitable rights that are aligned with our religious affinities. However, just like the HSA, HMA, and other Hindu laws, it seems to not take such considerations as cultural differences between different regions into account. When it comes to Hindu temples, that can be a bit iffy as each temple has its own processes and if the Board were to be regulated by a National board, many nuances could be lost.

I do partly agree with your point on cohesion, but uniformity in such cases may not be ideal. I feel that a board should be drafted as an external committee that can only oversee the interior temple administration and ought to have less power compared to the priests of the temple. At present, from what I have seen first-hand, the cops and board members run the show and have immense power (like getting VIPs to bypass the line or go as close to god as possible, much to the chagrin of the common man and the priests themselves).

The idea of laws as a moral standing is not as relevant in the Indian context as the law was established for control in India, an aspect which has been retained. I am of the opinion that if temples were to be "freed" it would swing in the extremes only.

Corruption has its own gradations. Let us see how it progresses.

I would, however, like to believe in optimism and hope that this is the correct choice for temples.

 

[prasad1]

Personal uncodified law at large. There are other acts for religious institutions, but at large, they are not as effective- one of the main issues with Indian law at present.

I do partially agree on equality of the laws but I think it should be in the range of equity instead of equality. This is as religions of Indian origin function quite differently from the Abrahamic faith. Therefore, we should have equitable rights that are aligned with our religious affinities. However, just like the HSA, HMA, and other Hindu laws, it seems to not take such considerations as cultural differences between different regions into account. When it comes to Hindu temples, that can be a bit iffy as each temple has its own processes and if the Board were to be regulated by a National board, many nuances could be lost.

I do partly agree with your point on cohesion, but uniformity in such cases may not be ideal. I feel that a board should be drafted as an external committee that can only oversee the interior temple administration and ought to have less power compared to the priests of the temple. At present, from what I have seen first-hand, the cops and board members run the show and have immense power (like getting VIPs to bypass the line or go as close to god as possible, much to the chagrin of the common man and the priests themselves).

The idea of laws as a moral standing is not as relevant in the Indian context as the law was established for control in India, an aspect which has been retained. I am of the opinion that if temples were to be "freed" it would swing in the extremes only.

Corruption has its own gradations. Let us see how it progresses.

I would, however, like to believe in optimism and hope that this is the correct choice for temples.

In Hinduism (or whatever we call it) The priest is only a Profession. Our priest cannot be equated to Abrahamic faith priest. Our priests are paid professional and have no stake in the Temple management. The temple management is taken over by the government mostly in the southern states. The Kanchi Matt owns and operates temples without government interference.

My wife's family restored a dilapidated Shiva temple in Padi. The custodian who was given the property was renting it out as goat shala. My brother-in-law pulled all strings and raised a substantial amount to consecrate the Raj Gopuram. The temple is now thriving. They hired the priest and other staff to manage the temple. So, blaming the government may be justified, but individuals or a group must take the initiative.

 

[OKO]

In Hinduism (or whatever we call it) The priest is only a Profession. Our priest cannot be equated to Abrahamic faith priest. Our priests are paid professional and have no stake in the Temple management. The temple management is taken over by the government mostly in the southern states. The Kanchi Matt owns and operates temples without government interference.

My wife's family restored a dilapidated Shiva temple in Padi. The custodian who was given the property was renting it out as goat shala. My brother-in-law pulled all strings and raised a substantial amount to consecrate the Raj Gopuram. The temple is now thriving. They hired the priest and other staff to manage the temple. So, blaming the government may be justified, but individuals or a group must take the initiative.

Yes, I do partly agree with you, particularly on the point about the Kanchi Mutt. The main reason for that is:

1. The madam is not affiliated with TNHRCE
2. The temples are either extremely new (in most cases, from what I have seen personally) or were abandoned, and renovation may not be ideal from Govt PoV.

Temple priests used to have control over the temple rituals and runnings, and the King and his ministers were there to ensure nothing fraudulent occurred and to maintain the temple's sanctity. I am proposing to go back to that model with the Board being established to ensure from third person's perspective.

Temple management refers to managing the:

1. funds and donations of the temple
2. shifts or designations of the priests
3. religious rituals observed
4. temple maintenance

Out of the above, 2 and 3 ought to solely be monitored by the priests. 1 would be split between the board and priests, wherein the treasurer or any other member of the Board with the authority to do so would set aside the amount of money permissible to buy something, the salary of those employed, et cetera and the work would get carried out by a priest or their family member; If the temple is wealthy then maybe they may have a designated accountant to oversee such on a day-to-day basis. The 4th one remains solely with the temple.