Home > 2007 Issues > July 01, 2007

Demand to scrap Endowments Department State decisions on administration of temples criticised VSK REPRESENTATIVES of the Andhra Pradesh Hindu ?Devalaya Parirakshana? Samiti and US-based Global Hindu Heritage Foundation recently criticised the state government for decisions relating to administration of temples. The decisions include stopping sale of temple lands and reforms in temple administration. Kamal Kumar, Samiti general secretary and V. Prakasa Rao, Foundation chairman, said in a statement that the two organisations propose to take up several protest programmes against the decisions. They demanded scrapping of Endowments Department and setting-up of a ?Dharmik Mandali? to replace it and issuance of an ordinance in place of Endowments Amendment Act, which has been referred to the Select Committee. To press the demands, the organisations would collect one crore signatures. They plan to submit a representation with one lakh signatures to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy after six months in the presence of different mutt heads and representatives of Hindu dharmik organisations. Human rights organisation formed in Tripura AGARTALA : Tripura human rights organisation took formal shape in its first state conference held at Agartala on June 10. The 53-member general body of the organisation elected Gyanananda Roy as the president and advocate Purushottam Roy Barman and Bijan Saha as the secretary and treasurer respectively. The leaders later vowed to create public opinion against any kind of violation of human rights in the state and elsewhere. Speaking on the occasion, the newly elected secretary ridiculed CPM for having changed its stance in a matter of human rights violation after coming to power in the state in 1993. When the party was in opposition, it raised voice against a custodial death at Ambassa police station in Dhalai district. But after achieving power the same party remained silent on the subject. Shri Roy Barman demanded for immediate establishment of state human rights commission so that common people get a forum to lodge their complaint and ask for remedy in case of any violation. Members of the organisation expressed deep concern over the high increase in the numbers of women-related crimes in Tripura. Muslims demand autonomy; BJYM protests AGARTALA : The real face of the Muslims organisation?AUDF?got unveiled as the party demanded for the creation of separate autonomous council for the Muslims and other linguistic minorities living in Assam. Recently the party leader and MLA Rashul Hoque Bahadur placed a strong demand in this regard. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha reacted sharply to the unconstitutional demand and favoured immediate arrest of Rashul Hoque. President of the youth wing of BJP Shri Dilip Saikia told the mediapersons on June 9 that such demand is a threat to the entire democratic system of the country. He dubbed AUDF MLA the political face of Islamic terrorism who is banking on the support of Bangladeshi Muslims. BJYM leader appealed to the people of Assam to rise in protest against illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and discourage those abetting it to get narrow political mileage. According to him, the demand for autonomous council for the Muslims is the inevitable result of infiltration. Surprisingly neither the Congress nor the state government has so far given its view on the matter fearing loss of Muslim support. Prasenjit Chakraborty

Previous Page (8/42) - Next Page (10/42)