PATHANMTHITTA: Hindu Aikyavedi general secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan said here on Saturday that the Hindu religious leaders' meet held in Thiruvananthapuram recently had decided to launch an agitation against the Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance approved by the Cabinet.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Rajasekharan alleged that the new Ordinance did not contain any provision to check corruption in the Devaswom boards. He said the Ordinance was prepared in haste, without consulting the stakeholders of various Hindu temples or Hindu organisations.

"The Ordinance provided ample scope for the Government to interfere in the administration of various temples and other religious institutions such as ashrams and Maths. A secular Government should not interfere in the affairs of the places of worship of any community," he said.

On oath

Mr. Rajashekharan said as per the new Ordinance, the Devaswom Board president and members should take the oath of office before the Chief Secretary and not before the Devaswom Commissioner. It also said that the Devaswom Board should place its audit report for approval in the Legislative Assembly, instead of the earlier practice of submitting it before the Kerala High Court.

He said the proposal to recruit temple employees and other Devaswom staff through the Public Service Commission was not justified, as the Government had taken no such initiative against the places of worship of other communities.

Recruitment

Mr. Rajashekharan demanded that a new Devaswom Recruitment Board comprising experts belonging to the Hindu community be constituted, instead of entrusting the job to the PSC.

He called for appropriate changes in the new Ordinance, after talks with various Hindu organisations.

The Hindu Aikyavedi leader called for a total revamp of the temple administrative body and decentralisation of powers, by ensuring effective participation of the devotees in the administration of various temples. Elimination of corruption in Devsawom Boards should be given priority, he said.

Mr. Rajashekharan alleged that though there were enough provisions to check corruption in the Devaswom Boards with the help of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau and other powers vested with the State, no effective step had been initiated in this regard by the Government.

Clarification sought

The Government should clarify as to what action it had taken on the inquiry report submitted by the Inspector-General of Police (Vigilance) on the corruption charges levelled against the Devaswom authorities, he added.

He said the Hindu Aikyavedi would launch a temple-centred awareness campaign on the "negative aspects" of the Ordinance from February 5 to 12, observing it as `Temple Protection Week'. The leaders of various Hindu organisations would observe fast before the Secretariat on February 14, he said.

Mr Rajashekharan said the Aikyavedi would also prompt devotees to send letters to the Governor not to give his assent to the Ordinance in its present form. Hindu Aikyavedi district president K. Haridas was also present.

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