The controversial Government Order issued by the state government restricting the jurisdiction of the Tirumala temple (TTD) to only 10 and 1/3 sq km around the shrine snowballed into such a major controversy that the sadhus, sants, mathadhipatis and peethadhipatis, besides a number of pro-active Hindu organisations converged in Tirupati on July 16 to demand the immediate withdrawal of the contentious order.
What kicked off the row was the apprehension among devotees and various Hindu organisations that in the wake of the Government Order (GO), Tirumala would no longer remain the sacred "Seven Hills", as it is called from the days of the yore but would have to be content with only two hills as the remaining five would go out of its purview.
A "Sankalpa Diwas" (the day to take a pledge) was held under the banner of the "Tirumala Tirupati Samrakshana Samithi" with the Swamiji of Pejawar Mutt, Udipi, to protest the GO. The meet also expressed its deep concern over the reported increase in evangelical activities at Tirumala and Tirupati and quoted experts in this connection from the report submitted by the five-member fact-finding committee appointed by the pontiff of Pejawar with Justice Bikshapathy, former High Court Judge, as its head. Court ruling cited
The meet cited a High Court ruling, which said: "The rights of Tirumala-Tirupati vest with Lord Venkateswara himself and the trust board and the Executive Officer are only trustees of the property. None can take any measures violating the right. All the seven hills fall under Tirumala ( W.P.No:26145 of 1996-97(2) ald 59 (db) DT.7.9.96.
Besides Pejawar Swamiji, the summit was attended among others by Shri Dayananda Saraswati, founder of the Arsha Vidya Peetham, Varada Ramanuja Jeeyar from Uttar Pradesh and members of the fact-finding committee?T.S. Rao, retired DGP, R. Srihari, former V-C of the Dravidian University, Krishnaiah, State BC welfare leader. The meeting adopted five major resolutions concerning the entire gamut of the issue and also to set August 9 as the deadline for the government/TTD to remove all "distortions" failing which it threatened that the entire Hindu samaj would raise in revolt for a second yatra apparently referring to the ‘Ayodhya Rath Yatra’.
The summit also passed a "Tirupati Declaration" to fight against the organisations, government, political parties and media that worked against the interest of the Hindu society.
Resolutions
As for the resolutions adopted amidst shouts of "Govinda-Govinda" from the participants, the first one wanted that the state government should enact a new law declaring that Tirumala meant "Seven Hills" after duly rectifying the flaw in its earlier GO. In the second resolution, the sadhus’ summit called upon the TTD to dismiss all non-Hindu staff members from Tirumala, as under the TTD manual, only Hindus should be appointed in the TTD. The meet expressed anguish that as many as 40 Christians posted as TTD employees allegedly celebrate their festivals and religious activities on the hills.
In another resolution, the meet criticised the state government’s move to convert Tirupati/Tirumala into a tourist destination. It also adopted a resolution demanding a ban on evangelical activities in the TTD-run educational and medical institutions.
Resolution 1:– State government should enact a new law stating that Tirumala comprises all the Seven Hills
Uninhabited areas, sanctuary etc., fall under the Seven Hills of Tirumala and the entire 250 Sq. Km area is the property of Lord Venkateswara. Only Hindus should be permitted to conduct their religious and spiritual programmes in this area. No construction should be allowed and no other activities affecting the sanctity of the temple should be allowed. A new law should be enacted by the state government without any scope for misgivings and legal loopholes. The government should prove its commitment on the issue and this is the only way to remove the doubts in the minds of devotees and ensure their faith.
Resolution 2:– All the non-Hindus should be evacuated from Tirumala Hills
Only Hindus should be appointed in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, as per the TTD manual. At present, more than 40, Christian employees of the TTD reside at Tirumala and celebrate their festivals and conduct their religious activities and preaching on the Hills. All such non-Hindus should be immediately evacuated.
Resolution 3:– Tirumala is a holy place. Not a place of luxury
The state government with the help of TTD is trying to convert Tirumala into a tourist centre and a place of luxury. Tirumala is a holy place and the devotees oppose the attempts to convert it into a tourist centre. Rope-way to the hills, allotment of 103 acres of temple land at Alipiri to the Tourism Department?all these are instances of the attempts of state government’s intention. All these steps should be stopped forthwith and the sanctity of Tirumala should be protected.
Resolution 4:– Activities of non-Hindus in educational and medical institutions of TTD should be banned
Educational and medical institutions of TTD are run with the humble and sacred offerings of devotees in the Lord’s hundi. It is deplorable that these institutions should become centres of religious preaching and religious conversions by non-Hindus. Freedom of religion as enshrined in the Constitution means propagating one’s religion among one’s own religious community and not among people of other faiths and in their places of worship. We demand that steps should be taken for not allowing religious campaign of non-Hindus in the educational and medical institutions of TTD and punish those resorting to such activities. Non-Hindus and the government should note that Hindus will not tolerate such activities. Officials encouraging such activities must be identified and removed from their present posts. Religious preaching by non-Hindus should be banned not only in Tirupati but also in other Hindu holy places. Government should not appoint non-Hindus in the trust boards and managing committees of Hindu temples. Only Hindus and those having faith in the institution of temples must be appointed ex-officio members in these boards and committees.
Resolution 5:– Funds of TTD must be used only for dharmic and spiritual activities
Devotees make offerings in the Lords hundi with the hope and faith that Tirumala should be run and maintained as a holy place and as a centre of devotion and inspiration. Such offerings are meant for conducting festivals, running the temple, providing amenities to the pilgrims and protection and propagation of Hindu dharma. These funds should be utilised only for such purposes. The state government diverts these funds for other activities by pressurising TTD. We condemn this and demand that the TTD funds must be utilised only for the dharmic activities cited above. They should not be diverted for other activities of the government. The word "Hindu" must be prefixed to the name "Dharma Rakshana Samstha" as was earlier.
Beware of Hindu anger?Swami Dayananda Saraswati
"There is a need for a movement?an initiative concrete measures?to free Hinduism from those sections that are committed to destroy Hindu Dharma. They have declared themselves the champions of all religions and have mandate to destroy every other religion. …. enough is enough," said Swami Dayananda Saraswati while addressing a huge gathering of Hindu devotees in Tyagaraj Mandapam, Tirupati. Swami Dayananda supporting the resolutions of the Samiti said, "I approve all the resolutions that have been brought by the Samrakshna Samiti regarding the Tirupati shrine and Lord Venkateswara. Warning the conspirators against the Hindu religion, Swamiji said: "We are not going to support any group, any institution, any political force or the media, which practice anything against Hindu Dharma in this country." "From our experiences, we have come to a stand that Hindu religious endowments, Hindu institutions should be run by the Hindu bodies. They have nothing to do with the government. The secular governments should completely hand over all the religious endowments, Hindu properties to the Hindu bodies. This is an appeal that I make to all the Hindus who are not present in this conference that they should join this declaration, and the declaration be called the "Tirupati Declarations". I also request all the Hindus all over the country and all over the world to support this declaration.
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