Fw: Call for Papers: SEMINAR: "Temple Management in India"

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Call for Papers: SEMINAR: "Temple Management in India"

 

Call for Papers

and

Participation in a Seminar

on

 

"A Framework for Temple Management in India"

(Moderated by: Prof. Subhash Kak)

 

This is a Call for Papers on the issue of Temple Management in India.

A seminar and a workshop on this subject will be held as part of the Human

Empowerment Conference in Houston during Sept 16-18, 2005. The submissions and

the ensuing debate at the conference among the thinkers present is expected to

culminate into a position paper on this topic. The position paper alongwith the

proceedings of this seminar will be made available widely, and it is hoped that

would have a bearing on public policy in India.

 

A government should have no role in the management of temples, as is presently

the case all across India. The current situation is responsible for corruption,

looting of temple properties and income, and lack of attention to the mission of

education and social renewal of the Hindu community.

 

Traditionally, many temples were run by families, and there were complaints that

they were not doing enough to improve facilities for pilgrims and to allow

access to all Hindus. These arguments have been used by the government in the

last half-century to take-over the management of temples by forming temple

trusts where the control vests with the IAS functionary and the members are

nominated by the government.

 

The government-controlled temple system needs to be given back to the public.

This would require that the government come up with an appropriate legal

framework so that the governing trusts are elected and managed by the community.

Perhaps the model of the SGPC for the Sikh temples could serve as the initial

draft document to create a Devasthana Prabandhak Parishad (DPP) for each state.

Perhaps such DPP could work at the district, tehsil and neighborhood/village

level, so that there is no concentration of power at the state or the national

level. It should be realized that the issue of temple management is a national

problem and not a partisan one. No political party has taken initiative to bring

reforms, including the two national parties, the Congress and the BJP.

 

All organizational, legal, social, spiritual, cultural and religious issues

pertaining to this topic needs to be debated, culminating into a consensus

position paper that could become an ideological basis for socio-political action

by the Hindu community in India.

 

Academics, intellectuals, and thinkers are invited to submit papers covering

various aspects of temple management, including historical and traditional

aspects. How were the temples managed in ancient and medieval times? What could

be incorporated from those times, and what needs to be discarded? Who should

decide what rituals can be performed in temples, and why? Who should conduct the

management of the temples, and whether there should be a strict separation of

powers for religious and temporal authority. Such issues need to be thoroughly

debated, before a socio-political movement can be launched in India at the

mass-level for the liberation of Temples.

 

Intellectual churning is required for any ideological development. Hence,

contrarian views are most welcome in this intellectual debate.

 

For background, see:

Hinduism and the Contest of Religions

http://www.sulekha.com/expressions/column.asp?cid=305994

 

The Assault on Tradition

http://www.sulekha.com/expressions/column.asp?cid=305983

 

A Looming Disaster

http://in.rediff.com/news/2003/sep/08kak.htm

 

The Seminar will be moderated by Prof. Subhash Kak, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA,

USA.

( http://www.ece.lsu.edu/kak/kak.html

 

**********************************************

 

How to participate:

Abstracts or a brief statement of interest can be sent to :

Anand Rajaram

Session Coordinator

E-mail: temple-seminar

 

Academics, intellectuals, thinkers, legal professionals, accountants,

bureaucrats, journalists, businessmen, and community leaders alike are invited

to send in abstracts of their submission by 2nd week of August. Final papers are

due by 1st week of September. Prospective participants are cordially invited to

be present at the conference during Sept. 16th-18th, 2005, in Houston, Texas,

USA. Details of the Human Empowerment Conference can be obtained from the

Session Coordinator. All prospective participants living in the U.S. and Canada

are highly encouraged to attend the seminar and workshop in person. Participants

from India and elsewhere can participate via teleconferencing. Appropriate

facilities for remote participation will be provided by the conference

organizers.

 

This is an invitation-only seminar, therefore all participants must submit a

Statement of Interest, in a few lines, explaining why they are interested in

this topic.

 

Further information about the conference is available from:

 

Third Annual Human Empowerment Conference 2005

Organizing Committee

 

Shri Dilip Mehta

Tel. 281-491-7299

 

Shri Vijay Kumar

Tel. 615-646-1875

 

Dr. Raj Dave

Tel. 847-274-0459

 

E-mail: temple-seminar