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https://swarajyamag.com/politics/sc...ic-collectives-intervention-made-a-difference
Salute to Sai Deepak Iyer
First cheer for making the court explicitly state that its directions were for all shrines in the country and not just the Hindu ones.
Second cheer for roping in the central government more actively in this case and committing itself on the issue of temple control by taking an official position. Presently, one is not sure where the Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stand on this issue – in Karnataka, the BJP promises to free temples from government control before the election, but moves to take over temples in Maharashtra once the election is over. The Supreme Court has directed the central government to form a committee in two weeks and submit an interim report before 31 August after studying various aspects of temple management.
Third cheer for reminding the court about the judiciary’s limitations in dealing with issues of temple administration in light of various state-level laws or temple-specific acts so that the ‘separation of powers’ principle isn’t trampled with.
Fourth cheer for the (unsuccessful) effort to rope in the Law Commission. Sometimes the effort matters more than the result. Sai Deepak tried to get the Law Commission involved to address concerns of stakeholders who aren’t fans of state entrenchment in temple administration facilitated by various state-level acts.
Number 2 may set the cat among the pigeons for the BJP! If BJP doesn't articulate that it believes that Hindu temples should be outside of government interference, they could lose massive Hindu support.Fifth cheer for securing the Supreme Court’s acceptance of distinction between contribution to temple hundi and dakshina to sevaks. The apex court had directed on 8 June that “no direct collection of the offerings is made by any Sevaks and all the offerings either in hundi or dakshina are deposited and accounted for and properly utilized. They should not be individual pockets by the Sevaks/attendants who may be given their due remuneration.”
Salute to Sai Deepak Iyer