Will Jaya Heed the Spineless CPI That Eyes Hindu Temple Properties?

Even while the decades old demand for strict measures to collect rent dues from tenants of buildings owned by Hindu Temples and fazal dues from cultivators of Temple lands gains momentum, a delegation of the Communist Party of India (CPI) led by its state unit secretary Tha. Pandian met Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha on April 4, 2013, and put forth a demand that instead of levying rent, the government should issue pattas to the tenants of Temple buildings and temple lands. In effect, that would render Hindu temple worship prohibitive.

Resentment of Hindus to this nefarious attempt of Communists was expressed by Ram Gopalan, founder of Hindu Munnani, in a statement which laid bare the Communists’ spineless bravado. “The Communists would never dare to demand that Church properties and Waqf properties be handed over to individuals. But they make empty noise while demanding Hindu Temple properties be made over to tenants. The buildings and lands were donated centuries ago by devotees specifically for the upkeep of temple rituals and festivals and it would be a travesty of trust if the Temple properties are mindlessly frittered away,” Ram Gopalan pointed out. He insisted that the CM should reject the CPI demand outright. His pertinent poser was: would the cash rich CPI give away its crores to the needy?

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