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Resolutions passed in the third
Conference of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, held in Sri Adichunchanagiri( near
Bangalore) on February 9-11, 2008
This third Conference of the
Acharya Sabha was held in the ancient Sri Adi Chunchanagiri Matha during
February 9 to 11, 2008. The Acharya members present heard the Secretary’s report
and the Convener’s observations. With that background, the Acharya Sabha
deliberated on a variety of topics of concern and interest to Hindus world-wide
and in India in particular. The substance of the deliberations and conclusions
appears in the brief Statement below. It is followed by the Resolutions passed
on individual topics in the Agenda considered by the Acharya Sabha.
Statement.
1. There
is an increasing awareness among the Acharya leadership, of the seriousness of
Hindu concerns and causes which are not addressed or insufficiently addressed by
authorities and within Indian Society; some of the Acharyas have taken the
initiative to project the grievances of Hinduism and Hindus in specific cases;
many have lent their hand and support to collective action to highlight Hindu
sensitivities and grievances;
2. Awareness
of unjust treatment of Hindus in the country under the flawed concept of
secularism, has increased considerably overseas; such awareness is providing
support to Hindu awareness among the masses in India;
3. The
State Government of Tamil Nadu has in callous disregard of Hindu sentiments
pursued the ill-considered Sethusamudram project despite repeated
representations from numerous experts and members of the public and also from
the Acharya Sabha; the Government of India has also not been sensitive to the
sacred resonance of ‘Rama Setu’ in the hearts of millions of Hindus all over
the world, in persisting with the dredging of the narrow sea between Sri Lanka
and India along an alignment that will damage the ‘Rama Setu’ irretrievably. The
Acharya Sabha therefore fully supports the country-wide agitation in the matter,
appreciates the scholarly documentation that was put together and the legal
action mounted.
4.
Several Hindu
organizations in the country are becoming active and proactive in the field to
counter adverse propaganda against Hindu society and Dharma, to oppose
conversion and violence and to highlight Hindu sensitivities;
5. More
and more subtle attempts are underway outside the country to ‘appropriate’ Hindu
philosophy and practices( such as Yoga, meditation, Sanskrit language and even
sacred scriptures such as Bhagavad Gita), detaching them from their Hindu
identity;
6. Global
warming resulting in the rapid receding of glaciers that feed the great Indian
rivers, is a major threat to the world and particularly to India; sustained
efforts are needed by several authorities to stem this adverse tide; the Hindu
religious leadership must explain to the devotee masses how Hindu heritage
strongly opposes reckless consumption and supports conservation of and respect
to all forms of life;
7. Many
ancient Mathas and temples in the country are in need of rejuvenation; these
institutions have a major role in sustaining, teaching and strengthening Hindu
Dharma; Mathatipatis must nominate their successors before it becomes too late
to do so; otherwise another pretext becomes available for government to
interfere in these Hindu institutions;
8. The
Acharya Sabha re-pledges itself, in the aforementioned context to speak in a
single united voice, act in a concerted manner to implement specific action
plans drawn up from time to time, to strengthen Hindu Dharma and Society, and
counter the problems and threats they face. In this context, a lot more needs to
be done by individual Acharyas in their tours, Pravachans and among their vast
devotee populations in: raising Hindu self esteem; resisting and preventing
conversion by protagonists of other religions; refusing to be cowed down by
threats of violence from any quarter; taking recourse to legal action in
specific cases aimed at protecting Hindu interests at large;
9. Individual
Acharya members should consider and project the activities of their Mathas and
Peethas as an effort to implement the Resolutions of the Acharya Sabha.
In the light of the foregoing,
the Acharya Sabha passes the following Resolutions and calls for their vigorous
implementation both by individual Acharya members, sannyasis, Hindu activists
and the secretariat of the Acharya Sabha.
1) Temple governance matters.
Noting that
·
in Andhra Pradesh, a
High Court Stay was in force on acquisition of temple lands for any purpose till
writ petitions filed in that regard are finally disposed off;
·
In Andhra Pradesh,
certain amendments have been made to the Endowment Act, the primary purpose of
which is to reduce the work load on the government department and to release
very small temples with little or no income into the hands of individual
archakas for implementing daily pujas with the help of govt. subvention/devotee
offerings;
·
in Karnataka, a high
powered committee has submitted recommendations for a new Endowment Law after
the High Court struck down the earlier ones on certain grounds not necessarily
recognizing Hindu concerns in matters of temple governance;
·
in Kerala, in a Writ
filed with the help of the Acharya Sabha Trust, the High Court conceded a
peripheral point regarding oath-administration, but did not favour any basic
concern of Hindu Society as a whole in temple matters;
·
in Madhya Pradesh a
new Law is under consideration in respect of temples but it seeks to retains all
control in a series of government nominated bodies and in the hands of the
government itself;
·
in Himachal Pradesh
and in Uttarakhand new governments have taken over;
·
the alarming tendency
in governments, both Central and the State, to treat temples and places of
sacred importance to Hindus as tourist attraction particularly for foreign
tourism which detracts from their sacred value to Hindus;
·
there have been many
terrorist attacks on Hindu places of worship in the country, and the
perpetrators have not been brought to book; and
·
the need for local
Hindu communities to gather experience in governing temples of different sizes
and popularity among temple-worshipping devotees; and thereby for establishing
the credibility of the claim that they are capable of managing their places of
worship, efficiently, transparently and in an accountable manner.
It is hereby resolved that
·
active recourse must
be taken to concerted legal action and for this purpose legal cells may be
identified and created in different States and at Delhi;
·
a Legal Action Fund
may be created in the Acharya Sabha Trust to which individual Acharya may
contribute liberally;
·
rapport may be
established with the new governments in Himachal Pradesh and in Uttarakhand to
explore the possibility of some salutary changes in the manner of temple
governance;
·
correspondence may be
initiated with the Chief Ministers and the Tourism Minister of Govt. of India on
the need to safeguard the sanctity of temples and other places of sacred
importance to Hindus; this may be followed up with visits on behalf of the
Acharya Sabha, to the ministers;
·
representations may be
addressed to appropriate authorities deploring increasing terrorist threats to
and attacks on Hindu places of worship and demanding strong preventive and
punitive action;
·
temple committees
comprising local temple-worshipping communities should be set up as a part and
parcel of Dharma Rakshana Samitis (decided at the last Conference at Mumbai) as
a measure of education in transparent and accountable management, harmonious
local participation in such management and demonstrable credibility for
self-management of places of Hindu worship. Individual Acharyas are exhorted to
undertake this exercise within their Sampradayas and area of Matha/Peetha
influence.
2) Temple –entry matters.
Noting that
·
while long-held local
traditions in regard to some restrictions on entering temples, can not be easily
and abruptly brushed aside, it is necessary to take steps which contribute to
reducing and eliminating divisiveness within Hindu Society and to thwart forces
that stand to benefit by such divisiveness;
·
it is necessary to
distinguish between idle curiosity that brings some people to wander into
temples and genuine visitors who want to observe and learn about temples and the
time-honored customs of worship in them.
It is hereby resolved that
·
it is necessary to
follow all reasonable laws of the land , both in letter and spirit, in
restricting entry in to temples and other places sacred to Hindus;
·
it is not incorrect,
however, to prevent or restrict entry of non-devotees and mere curiosity-seeking
tourists, particularly improperly clad or groomed tourists and visitors
including such persons from overseas;
·
the basic approach in
specific cases must be to harmonize local traditions gradually with the
expectations of temple-worshipping Hindu devotees and to respect contemporary
standards of equity and equality;
·
in the event of
necessity to restrain individuals from entering temples, the matter should be
cordially explained to them; special care must be taken to see that sevadars and
pujaris are not offensive or rude to them; and
·
none except authorized
religious personnel should be allowed to enter the Garbhagriha, which is a
specially sanctified place in a temple.
3) Whom to consider as a Hindu
and what distinguishes Sanaatana Dharma (Hinduism).
Noting that
·
unlike in other
religious persuasions it is not possible to straitjacket a Hindu and Hinduism
exclusively in any set of practices, rituals or taboos;
·
Hinduism should not be
viewed only through the prism of what is construed as ‘religion’ by non-Hindus;
·
various differing
Sampradayas of ancient lineage with diverse interpretations and understandings
of ancient scriptural teachings such as Vedas with all the Upanishads, Bhagawad
Gita etc constitute Sanaatana Dharma( Hinduism) and are all integral to
Hinduism;
·
not-withstanding the
foregoing it is necessary to compile a set of simple guiding principles with
which modern youth, Ghar Vapasi families, and those outside Hindu Dharma, can
obtain a basic understanding of Hinduism; and
·
Bhagawad Gita contains
a comprehensive code of Dharma, which could be followed by all human beings for
a morally upright, happy and productive life.
It is hereby resolved that
·
a compilation may be
prepared as a practical guide to distinguish a Hindu and Hinduism, with the
understanding that it should be taken only as a starting point for a deeper
study by a serious seeker, of several authentic interpretations and of the
chosen Sampradaya; and
·
the idea that Bhagawad
Gita merits acceptance as the National Book of India, is worthy of promotion.
4) Reconversion(Ghar Vapasi
issues).
Noting that
·
more and more families
seem to be interested in returning to their own traditions of faith and worship,
realizing the disruption and discord that religious conversion is creating in
their communities;
·
assistance to such
‘returnees’—Ghar Vapasi families--is resented by individuals and entities
engaged in conversion activities, and therefore attempts will increase to throw
doubts on and discredit re-conversion;
·
after re-conversion,
families face intimidation by hostile forces and will, therefore, need sustained
efforts at re-absorption in their local communities.
It is hereby resolved that
·
every Acharya member
is hereby authorized and empowered on behalf of the Acharya Sabha , to
encourage, undertake freely and bless all voluntary and genuine re-conversions
to Hindu Dharma;
·
Such blessing may be
accompanied by a simple sanctification ceremony, chosen by the Acharya for the
re-converting families/individuals; they may be given simple Hindu names by
which they will be called and known to authorities henceforth; as a mark of
re-conversion they may be blessed with a copy of the Bhagavad Gita or a small
pendant with a god/goddess of the family’s choice or any other such religious
symbol;
·
Acharya members should
in their tours and pravachans emphasize that such returning
individuals/families must be readily accepted socially and get connected through
marriage etc ( “roti-beti sambhanda”);
·
Acharya members may
grant privileged darsanam, singly or collectively, to such Ghar Vapasi
individuals/families in their field tours and in their Mathas/Peethas; this
gesture will be valued greatly by the returning individuals/families;
·
The reconverting
individuals/families should be free to choose their ancestral caste identity if
known and preferred; if not, this may be left to themselves and the village
community to be settled amicably; in doing so, any special economic benefit that
may be available under law or government schemes, should be kept in mind so that
the returnees benefit accordingly;
·
It is essential that
suitable documentation should precede and follow any Ghar Vapasi program; they
are: (1) an application for voluntary re-conversion; (2) an affidavit to be
sworn by the voluntary re-convert; and (3) a Report to the District Authorities
of the Government (sub divisional magistrate/District Collector or any other
official prescribed by the State government concerned) intimating of such
voluntary re-conversion with the new name(s). The documentation should be as
shown in the attachment to this Resolution; and
·
Special care must be
taken, with the help of devotees of the Acharya Sabha member, to see that the
reconverted individual/family is not subsequently intimidated or lured/enticed
by evangelists or their agents, or authorities misled, about such re-conversion
with a view to bring ill-repute or harm to such Ghar Vapasis. This follow-up
action may need frequent visit to, or even stationing of an activist in, the
village/ community for a while.
5) Distortion and Denigration of
Hinduism by academicians.
Noting that
·
for several years now
some Western academics, particularly in some American Universities have been
publishing articles, PhD theses and books, purporting to interpret and analyze
Hinduism, Hindu deities and worship practices;
·
some of these works
are extremely ill-informed or purposely distorted; they do not meet the
rigorous standards of scholarship nor do they undergo competent peer-review;
they denigrate things sacred to Hindus;
·
these works do not
remain within scholarly circles but find their way as recommended readings in
schools and colleges in the US; besides giving a completely wrong picture of
what is Hinduism and what their deities stand for, they impact the young minds
of Hindu children and young adults in a deeply injurious manner—destroying their
self esteem and pride in their own tradition and cultural roots;
·
TV media in India is
dominated by non-Hindu interests, pseudo-secularists and Abrahamic religious
leadership/institutions; the result is that Hindu youth does not get a correct
picture of what Hinduism is and what is its stand on many contemporary issues
amidst virulent propaganda against Hindu Dharma; and
·
under the deeply
flawed notion of what secularism means, school and college curricula avoid any
serious Religious studies in the country in an academic setting; this affects
Hindu thought particularly.
It is hereby resolved that
·
the book, Invading
the Sacred, which exposes in a scholarly setting these developments should
be widely distributed to encourage large-scale readership; an adapted Summary
version in different languages should be put out in the country and liberally
distributed;
·
till such time a full
blown Acharya Sabha TV Channel becomes a reality, Acharyas may buy time-slots in
the existing regional and national TV Channels ( Sanskar; Astha; Vishwa
Dharisanam, and several such regional language channels) for expertly
designed programs; they should comprise not only pravachans on Hindu
scriptural and Puranic wisdom but also lectures by Hindu scholars in various
professions, debates on contemporary Hindu concerns and issues with a view to
countering false propaganda by vested interests and uninformed criticism of
Hindu Dharma, and to convey authentic information to youth about Hinduism’s
stand on several contemporary social issues. Some important examples are the
problem of global warming and how families could contribute to mitigating the
adverse effects, child and women welfare, labor welfare, moderating competition
in business with compassion and Seva for the underprivileged;
·
efforts must be
mounted to install departments and curricula of Religious Studies in educational
institutions in different States; and well-educated and academically inclined
brahmacharis and brahmacharinis should be identified by individual Acharyas and
encouraged with financial support to undertake higher studies and PhD programs
in civilization/culture/ religion-related subjects; such studies should also be
encouraged to develop and clarify Hindu position on a variety of contemporary
issues such as human rights, child labour, women welfare, labour welfare, good
governance, legal and penal controversies, poverty eradication, sociology, Hindu
history, anthropology, medicine, archaeology, architecture etc; and
·
colonial constructs
and colonized mind- set must be exposed in an academic setting, and in
media-debates, journals and in scholarly publications, for which financial and
other forms of support should be extended by Acharyas and their well-to-do
devotees.
6) Dharma Index of the Oxford
Center for Hindu Studies
Noting that
·
the Oxford Center for
Hindu Studies as a Consultant to some private companies including the Dow Jones
of the US, had proposed and spearheaded the institution of a “Dharma Index” to
‘grade’ Industry and Business (and enterprises) as a guide to investors and
businessmen/entrepreneurs;
·
in doing so, the
Center, on the basis of advice tendered by a group of academics overseas
selected by it, has chosen ‘Ahimsa’, construed as ‘non-violence’ and ‘Loka-samgraha’,
understood as ‘responsible action for universal welfare’ as guiding moral
principles for such grading;
·
on being requested by
the Center to be a member of ‘spiritual leaders’ to ‘bless’ the Index, the
Convener of the Acharya Sabha got the matter studied in consultation with the
Director of the Center ; and the former came to the conclusion that the concept
and operational modalities of the Index, needed more collective in-depth
thinking by Business and Finance experts as well as Dharmic individuals
sufficiently knowledgeable in lived Dharma; and that launching the Index without
more thought might lead to consequences that may not be happy for those who
choose to be guided by the Index; accordingly the Convener had written to the
Center, a copy of which was circulated to the members of the Acharya Sabha;
·
the Center had also,
reportedly, approached directly a few Acharya members( HH Yatindra Mahadesikan
of Ahobila Matha; HH Ramanuja Jeer of Vanamamalai math; HH Pejawar Swamigal; HH
Pramukh Swamigal of Swaminarayana and Hh Kanchi Sankaracharya); the Convener
accordingly apprised them of the stand taken by the Convener on behalf of the
Acharya Sabha; and
·
the Center
notwithstanding the above had gone ahead and launched the so-called “Dharma
Index”.
It is hereby resolved that
·
individual Acharyas
mentioned above and any other Acharya member who may be approached may kindly
keep in mind the foregoing developments in mind; they may advise the Oxford
Center that the association of members of the Acharya Sabha in a spiritual group
or for ‘blessing’ the Index should be preceded by more careful examination of
the concept and the consequences of the implementation of the Index.
·
a Media Note may be
circulated by the Convener accordingly.
7) Preservation of ancient Hindu
heritage documents
Noting that
·
a very large number of
Hindu heritage manuscripts and other material are in the possession of
individuals, religious institutions including Mathas and Peethas and they
require proper scientific conservation, preservation for posterity, cataloguing
etc by experts;
·
around a million of
such treasures of our heritage are reported to have been identified and a large
number, digitalized with the help of the manuscript depositories all over the
country;
·
the National Mission
for Manuscripts has identified 45 manuscripts to be included, as first
instalment in a “Vigyananidhi” ;
·
the University of
Karnataka and an American company were to collaborate in digitalizing about a
lakh of such manuscripts in diverse fields of knowledge; and the Union Ministry
of Culture and the National Mission for manuscripts were also engaged in similar
activities; and
·
abrahamic religious
institutions are more organized and tightly controlled to ensure scientific
conservation of their heritage documents, their preservation by digitalization
for posterity and their wide availability for research.
It is hereby Resolved that
·
individual Acharyas
may get this matter examined with reference to precious heritage manuscripts and
other material that may be in their possession or their Mathas/Peethas or in the
possession of their devotees and contribute actively to their location,
identification, decipherment, evaluation, cataloguing, conservation and
preservation by digitalization for posterity of all such heritage material.;
·
in doing so, care must
be taken that foreign agencies do not acquire ownership or management rights
over our Heritage material;
·
any assistance that
may be required in this regard may be given by the Convener and the
Secretariat.
8) Functioning of Regional
Committees and the Emergency Committee of Acharyas
Noting that
·
the regional
Committees and the Emergency Committee nominated at the time of the last Acharya
Sabha Conference have not been actively functional; and
·
their active
functioning is important considering the difficulty of convening the Acharya
Sabha too often or for specific purposes as and when they arise;
It is hereby resolved that
·
these committees may
be activated by the convener Acharya members and kept active in respect of
problems as and when they arise and the Secretariat may provide all assistance
in this regard; and
·
The socio-economic
Seva and Ghar Vapasi work experience of Acharyas in their regions may be shared
with other Acharya members for mutual benefit. The Secretariat should facilitate
such mutual exchange of experience.
The Sabha concluded with the
resolve that in the next Conference, each Acharya member may present to the
Sabha as whole, the initiatives and work programs undertaken by his Matha/Peetha
in the period after the present Conference.
February 13, 2008
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