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The Hindus and their temples have been targets of attacks for a thousand years. During the Islamic invasion and rule thousands of temples, centers of learning and pilgrimage were destroyed and millions were of Hindus killed, tortured and hundreds of thousands converted forcibly.
During the British rule things changed a little bit the conversion took a new turn with Christian missionaries targeting the poor, the backward, the tribals and the illiterates. This practice still continues.
After India got independence from the British, during the fifty plus years of the Congress rule, things did not change much. Only the foreign missionaries were replaced by Indian Christian missionaries. Money kept flowing from abroad for conversion, building more churches and Christian schools. The Islamic countries did not lag behind. Boosted by oil money and headed by Saudi Arabia, Islamic money, missionary zeal and of course the burning desire to outnumber others, Muslims continued to get support and increased their numbers. Even the coalition government led by the so-called Hindu Nationalist Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Hindus have not been able to heave a sigh of relief.
Since Jihadi Islam took over, the attacks on Hindus and Hinduism, Hindu temples have increased. Jammu and Kashmir is one glaring example where temples have been destroyed or damaged, Hindus have been killed, tortured and driven out of Kashmir Valley. Attacks continue with regularity on Hindu pilgrims and temples, markets and other centers in the rest of Jammu and Kashmir state. In addition, wherever possible and convenient, Islamic jihadis strike in other cities even in the business capital, Mumbai and political capital, New Delhi.
Besides, there are other forms of attacks on Hindus and their temples. While facilities to Muslims for their hate-teaching-schools (madrasas) and divisive Wakf Boards, and Hajj travelers have increased considerably, Hindus and their temples have come under increased restrictions and interference by the government. Several states have formed laws to control temple property, confiscate it, set up mixed boards to manage the affairs of temples, and even spend temple money (got from only Hindus) for other purposes and for other people.
These practices have awakened Hindus and it seems that they are finally, started to feel the necessity to organize themselves to put up some kind of opposition to the nefarious trends – by the governments, by Islamic and Christian groups that are out to weaken Hindus and reduce them to minority in not-too-distant future.
This has to be resisted. This has to be fought. And This has to stop.
It is a matter of some consolation that some leading Hindu spiritual leaders thought about the dangers and have decided to form a new Hindu organization of saints to consider the situation and take remedial measures. That the Saint organization would not be enough, as the spiritual agenda would not be able to take on militant and Jihadi campaign against Hindus, but at least there is some awareness shown is encouraging.
In Chennai (Madras), the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, was formed, December 2. This would be the apex body of all Hindu religious leaders (acharyas and mandaleshwars) with the objective of starting a coordinated effort on issues concerning Hindus. Swami Dayananda Saraswati the Convener of the Acharya Sabha, said the leaders want a uniform civil code in the country for all of its citizens.
At present Muslims are exempted from the general civil laws about family, marriages, succession etc. While the Directive Principles of India’s Constitution envisage a uniform civil code for all its citizens, the government has been hesitating to enact it despite the advice of the Supreme Court.
Swami Dayananda said, the Sabha wanted the Central government to ban cow slaughter as the animal was a symbol of worship for Hindus. Beside, the cow is the backbone of India’s agricultural economy as the source of milk, and milk products, bullocks, organic manure and so on. Even after death, the cow and its family, provide bones, leather etc for various uses. The cattle wealth of any country is an asset, particularly for a country such as India that still depends to a great extent on agriculture and agriculture-based industries.
Demanding that the States hand over the temple administration to autonomous bodies, Swami Dayananda said that currently the government interferes in the administration of temples, and donations to temples were utilized for other purposes. Temple funds should be utilized only for religious purposes, he said.
The Sabha congratulated Tamil Nadu government for enacting a legislation to ban conversion and urged the Central government and other States to follow suit.
Tamil Nadu, under the DMK and its chief, M. Karunanidhi, had enacted laws that go against Hindu temples. On the Hindu temple boards were Muslims and Christians also and temple money was used for mosques and churches, Islamic and Christian schools and other institutions. The present government of Tamil Nadu, under AIDMK’s Jayalalitha has changed this practice to some extent.
There is an urgent need to change the entire set of laws and practices to prevent the governments from interfering in the affairs of the temples and Hindu institutions. The government dare not touch the Mosques, Wakf Boards and Churches. Their sources of money, and their spending, are also not investigated. Some money, it is feared is being diverted for conversion and terror activities by Jihadi Muslims. That has to completely stop and the culprits punished.
The Dharma Acharya Sabha is just one step in the right direction. Hope other Hindu organizations also come forward, come together and start a concerted drive to prevent these kind of attacks on Hindus and their temples. We don’t want to see, and our future generations to read, what happened to Hindus ands temples during the last one thousand years. The Hindu holocaust should never be repeated, destruction of Hindu temples must not be re-enacted and Hindu interests should be protected at all costs.
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