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‘Tamil Nadu Govt, Stop Attack on People Living on Temple Land’

Sruti MD |
Amid DMK’s efforts to resist the right-wing attack and prove itself as a ‘Hindus-friendly party’, the livelihood of people residing on temple lands has been adversely affected.
Protest of temple Image courtesy: Samy Natarajan

Protest of temple Image courtesy: Samy Natarajan

All over Tamil Nadu, millions of people reside on land owned by the Charity and Endowment Department of the state government. They cultivate the land, run small shops and engage in work associated with respective temples. Such families have been residing around temples for many generations, but they are now asked to pay a huge sum as rent or leave the premises.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other right-wing groups have been targeting temple lands in the state, saying that under the rule of the Dravidian parties, temples have been systematically stripped of their assets. In 2018, H Raja of the BJP launched the Hindu Temples Reclaim Movement (HTRM).

Countering the attack on Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) as ‘anti-Hindu’, since the party came to power in June 2021, it has introduced a slew of measures pertaining to temples, priests and the Hindu religion. The Ministry for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) announced that it “recovered” land worth Rs 1,640 crore by February 2022.

In DMK’s efforts to assert itself as a Hindu-friendly party and resist the right-wing attack, the livelihood of the people who reside and use temple lands has been adversely affected.

PAY UP OR LEAVE’ IS NOT FAIR

The HR&CE Department has started taking strict measures to recover its long-pending rental arrears from those on temple-owned lands across the state.

Officials have begun sealing establishments and residential buildings that failed to repay the rent despite the issuance of several notices and also have begun pasting notices bearing the names of non-payers and their due amount on the doors of the buildings.

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Protest in Chennai on March 18. Image courtesy: Samy Natarajan

In response to the state's actions, the Tamil Nadu All Religious Land Holdings Lessees/Tenants Protection Association is urging the government to withdraw the notice demanding the residents for one-time pay.

Samy Natarajan, Secretary of the Association, said, "A sudden notice and 15-day period to pay up years of the backlog is unreasonable. It is a clear effort to push common people out of the temple lands and usurp it for other purposes."

He further said, "These families are residing on temple lands and have been carrying out regular work for the temples for generations. They work for the ther thiruvila (chariot festival) and engage in cleaning work, garland making and others. That is why they were brought to live near the temples, and they were asked to relocate from their native places. Now they are asked to pay in bulk or leave."

Moreover, he said, "They are the ones who made the land around the temples liveable. Now they are termed as "encroachers". Also, only the land is owned by the temples, not the houses; houses were built by the residents."

In the early days, people reducing on temple lands used to pay 'pasali' once a year to the temple administration based on their harvests and profits. But, more recently, monthly rent and lease were decided by the state endowments department.

'PEOPLE MUST BE THE PRIORITY'

A state-level protest was held by the All Religious Land Holdings Lessees/Tenants Protection Association outside the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department in Nungambakkam, Chennai, on March 18.

On March 25, the leaders of the Association met the Minister HR&CE, PK Sekarbabu and submitted a memorandum of demands.

The memorandum read, "The new committee formed under the head of the Chief Secretary of the state must include representatives of the temple land users as well" and "when a new rent is being decided, it must be consulted with the land users prior to approval".

Memorandum submission to HR & CE minister. Image courtesy: P Shanmugam

Memorandum submission to HR & CE minister. Image courtesy: P Shanmugam

The Association is also asking the government for additional aid for the poor and deprived living on the temple lands. It demands a minimum fund to be deposited in the bank accounts of those living under the poverty line.

“The Minister of Hindu Religious Affairs responded satisfactorily to the requests in the talks held with them. We hope that appropriate measures will be taken,” said Samy Natarajan.

He also said, “Now, even those affiliated to the BJP are facing the brunt of the problem and have turned against the party. They have joined us and are raising their demands.”

“On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam (AIKS), I urge the Government of Tamil Nadu to come forward to protect the livelihoods of the people living and cultivating in the temple lands,” said P Shanmugam, the secretary of the AIKS in Tamil Nadu. The All Religious Land Holdings Lessees/Tenants Protection Association was formed under the banner of the AIKS in 2018.

The Tamil Nadu government has taken efforts toward better temple management. It has plans to monetise the gold offerings to temples and use the money thus generated for the development of the respective temples and amenities for devotees. It has also decided to appoint trustees for temples and carry out an extensive survey to trace the lost temple lands in the state.

However, the state government has no plan for the people who have worked for the temples for generations and survived on them.

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