Latest news with #non-Hindu
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Fund Diversion: Temple committees demand crackdown on false claims
Mangaluru: In a bid to counter rising misinformation, members of temple management committees from Dakshina Kannada have urged the Karnataka government to initiate legal action against individuals alleging that temple hundi funds are being diverted for non-Hindu religious causes or to the state treasury. The demands were made during a consultation session hosted by the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments at Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall on Friday. District in-charge and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who presided over the meet, described the campaign of falsehoods as dangerous and politically motivated. 'These claims are often broadcast on national television and are misleading the public. Temple committees must counter these narratives with facts,' he said. Rao also highlighted that tastik payments to certified priests had been increased from ₹24,000 to ₹72,000 under the Congress government. 'The system was introduced by my father, former CM Gundu Rao, and has been consistently strengthened,' he noted. MLCs Manjunath Bhandary and Ivan D'Souza expressed concern over the misuse of temple spaces. Bhandary advocated for ID cards for B and C-grade committee members and visible notices at temples assuring donors that funds are not misappropriated. Cultural scholar Lakshmish Gabladka stressed the need to preserve temple-based traditions in coastal Karnataka while limiting political interference. He advocated development of temples belonging to Scheduled Castes and called for recognition of poojaris as legitimate Hindu leaders. Committee member Raghava H from Beltangady suggested reviving art forms such as Yakshagana and devotional music within temple precincts. Other speakers, including Dilraj Alva, Venkappa Gowda, and Balakrishna Gowda, recommended a fast-track mechanism for temple land disputes, funding parity, and expansion of tastik grants. The session was attended by several dignitaries including former minister Ramanath Rai, Cashew Development Board chairperson Mamatha Gatti, MUDA chairman Sadashiva Ullal, former MLC Harish Kumar, Kannada and Tulu Academy president Sadananda Mavanje, deputy commissioner Darshan H V, ZP CEO Vinayak Karbari Narvade, and ADC Dr Santosh Kumar. The programme began with a welcome by endowment department assistant commissioner Jayamma and an introduction by Bappanadu Temple officer Shwetha Pally.
Scroll.in
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Madhya Pradesh Police asks trainees to recite Ramcharitmanas to cope with homesickness
The Madhya Pradesh Police will start daily reading sessions of the Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas for recruits at its training centres, The Indian Express reported on Thursday. The decision was reportedly taken after 300 recruits requested to be shifted to training centres closer to their home districts. Around 7,400 newly-appointed constables, sub-inspectors and deputy superintendents are undergoing training in the state, according to the Hindustan Times. Raja Babu Singh, the additional director general of police (training), told The Indian Express that Ramcharitmanas, especially the episode involving deity Ram's 14-year exile, is expected to impart lessons in living away from home to the recruits. 'Lord Ram did not return to Ayodhya for 14 years,' Singh was quoted as saying by the newspaper. 'During that time, he learned to live in the forest, built an army and overcame hardship. If we want to teach our recruits lessons, they will have to be from our local culture, which they can relate to.' On Tuesday, Singh directed district police superintendents overseeing training centres to immediately procure copies of the Ramcharitmanas and begin recitations, the Hindustan Times reported. The trainees will be asked to recite at least two chapters each night, reported The Indian Express, quoting unidentified officials. An unidentified police officer posted at a training institute said the sessions would not be mandatory for non-Hindu trainees, the Hindustan Times reported. 'The meaning of all the couplets will be explained in Hindi so that everyone can take life lessons from them,' the officer was quoted as saying. The Congress has criticised the move, stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government and its officials have a habit of 'mixing religion with everything'. 'Instead of making these trainees secular, who can respect and treat people of all religions alike, they are giving extra importance to one religion,' the Hindustan Times quoted party leader KK Mishra as saying. However, BJP Spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai defended the initiative and said that 'trainees are being prepared to get ready for every kind of challenge and Lord Ram is the best example of surviving in the forest while fighting against demons'.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
MP calls for delisting converted tribal people from ST category
1 2 3 Jaipur: In a significant move, Udaipur MP Mannalal Rawat has brought attention to a controversial demand in the Lok Sabha, calling for the removal of religious converts from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Speaking in Lok Sabha Monday, the BJP MP advocated for applying the same criteria to STs as currently applicable to Scheduled Castes (SCs), where conversion to non-Hindu faiths leads to disqualification from constitutional benefits. Rawat, who has strong ties with the RSS-affiliated Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM), highlighted what he termed a "legal loophole" that has persisted for 75 years. Quoting studies and reports, Rawat said converted tribals continue to receive reservation benefits in education, employment and welfare schemes despite abandoning traditional tribal customs and practices. "This is a direct blow to the rights of genuine tribal communities in Udaipur, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh and across the country. Limited resources are being diverted to those who no longer preserve tribal identity, weakening socio-economic development efforts," he told TOI. Referring to Article 342 of the Constitution, which governs Scheduled Tribes, Rawat noted that currently does not include any disqualification clause related to religious conversion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo The MP, who took voluntary retirement from a Rajasthan govt service to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleged that Christian missionaries and other groups have been conducting forced conversions in tribal areas through financial inducements. "They have devised a formula: change your belief system but not your legal identity. This poses a serious threat to tribal culture and traditions," Rawat said. According to the 2011 Census, Rajasthan has approximately 97,000 Christians, primarily concentrated in Jaipur, Ajmer, Dungarpur and Banswara. As a key strategist for JSM's nationwide campaign, Rawat has been instrumental in organising rallies and outreach programs across several states with significant tribal populations, including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Rawat was hand-picked by senior RSS members from Udaipur to address several long-pending issues, including the contentious demand for the de-listing of converted tribal people from Scheduled Tribe benefits. The demand for de-listing converted tribal people has been a long-standing agenda of RSS-affiliated organisations, though it faces complex constitutional and social implications.
Deccan Herald
22-07-2025
- General
- Deccan Herald
Conversion hasn't erased caste. Can a census do it?
SC status eludes Dalit converts to the non-Hindu fold. Enumeration can, at least, help them show up in the data
New Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Suspension of non-Hindu employees in TTD institutions is unlawful: CPM
VIJAYAWADA: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Andhra Pradesh unit has strongly criticised the suspension of non-Hindu employees working in secular institutions such as schools and hospitals managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), calling the move unconstitutional and discriminatory. In a statement, CPM State secretary V Srinivasa Rao urged the State government to withdraw the suspensions and protect the constitutional rights and job security of affected workers. The party said the action violates a government memorandum issued on January 24, 2025, by the Endowments Department. It emphasised that religious institutions and the secular institutions under their administration, such as educational and medical facilities, should be treated separately. While religious roles like priests may require specific criteria, the party argued that recruitment for secular roles must follow standard government norms without religious discrimination.
