Chilkur priest challenges Kerala CM…

After hearing the news that the Kerala assembly passed a resolution demanding the scrapping of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Chilkur Priest C S Rangarajan challenged the Kerala Govt. To close it’s Devaswom Board as it was against Spirit of Secularism and selective in administering Hindu Temples.

While presenting the resolution, the CM Pinarayi Vijayan had said the CAA was against the “secular” outlook and fabric of the country and would lead to religion-based discrimination in granting citizenship. “The Act contradicts the basic values and principles of the Constitution.

Sardar Patel had promised that the essential features of the Constitution of States will form the essential feature of Constitution of India in the Constituent Assembly.

While other religions are protected under Article 26 in the name of secularism Hindu Sampradaya is under threat from Secular State…

SC Ayodhya judgement has held that the legal personality of Hindu Deity is to protect the pious purpose of Deity incarnation and pious purpose of our ancestors who sacrificed to preserve it for the sake of future generations. Hindu Deity right is thus the collective right of Hindu Sampradaya

In view of the anxiety among the people of the country, the Centre should take steps to drop the CAA and uphold the secular outlook of the Constitution,” the CM had said.
Chilkur priest challenges this view further. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) which argued with its Advocates supporting Naishtika Brahmacharyam in the PIL did not file a review Petition and adding salt to injury supported the wrongful Judgement. Is it Secularism???

Historically, The Ruler Deity of Travancore who had thrown open all Hindu Temples to all classes and sections of Hindus and followed by people of Travancore instantly had also mandated in His constitution of Travancore in Article 4(b) as follows:- “Devaswoms, Hindu Religious Endowments and matters connected therewith shall be under our exclusive control and supervision and shall not in any respect, be within the scope or purview of the Council of Ministers or the Legislative Assembly. “

Sardar Patel had promised that the essential features of the Constitution of States will form the essential feature of Constitution of India in the Constituent Assembly. It finds its place in our Constitution in Article 26 as follows:-26.

Freedom to manage religious affairs Subject to public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right
(a) to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes;
(b) to manage its own affairs in matters of religion;
(c) to own and acquire movable and immovable property; and
(d) to administer such property in accordance with law

The article 26 was split into the various components (a), (b), (c) and (d) and only the administration of property is impacted by the law made by the legislature. This item Religious Endowment is moved into the concurrent list so that Union can ensure that the mandate of Article 26 is not violated by any State Legislature. Thus Article 26 is the most important article of our Constitution that the Ruler Deity who is the Ruler of all worlds had through his devotees got it inserted aptly but the Courts have misinterpreted.

Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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C.S. RANGARAJAN

C S Rangarajan belongs to the family of Hereditary Archaka cum Trustees of the famous Sri Chilkur Balaji Venkateswara Swamy Temple of Telangana State. He completed his B.E (Biomedical Engineering) from the Osmania University in June, 1988. He was educated in Agama Sastras as well and passed Archaka Pravesha Exam in 1995. He worked in many Medical Device companies before quitting the Engineering Profession to join in the Service of the Almighty at Chilkur at an age of 35 years. He felt this was a calling of God to help the worshippers at the Temple have a better devotional experience through his service. Most important is the fact that he has been assisting his father Dr M V Soundara Rajan in running the Temples Protection Movement from Chilkur Balaji temple which has set a unique trend against Commercialisation and Politicisation of Temple worship. He assists his father in running the Trilingual Monthly Journal VAK which is the voice of Temples. He has always been striving for revival of ancient temples and has played a key role in sensitizing the devotees on the need to revive the ancient temples in their ancestral villages. He has also taken keen interest in the welfare of the society at large by not only striving for inculcating devotional spirit in the devotees visiting Chilkur temple but also ensuring that the temple plays a role in the upliftment of the weaker sections through such innovative initiatives as motivating devotees to wear handlooms on Saturdays providing support to the weavers’ community. He has also played a major role in the movement to reform the temple system and also highlighting the pitiable state of the Archaka community leading eventually to the amendment of the draconian 30/87 Andra Pradesh Endowments Act . He has been instrumental in development of the Conservation manual for the Endowments Department by REACH Foundation. His LLM Thesis is now being published by the Temples Protection Movement

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