RE: Tirumala church controversy

[Guest guest]

Parama Pavitra Jeeyar Swamiji,

Aneka Namaskaramulu.

 

As the controversy over the alleged request by a christian group for allotment

of land at Tirumala broke out in Eenadu, Andhra Bhoomi News papers two days ago,

I got in touch with reliable IAS officials in the AP Secretariat and one Editor

of a leading Telugu Newspaper in Hyderabad and the following is revealing:

 

1. It is a FACT that there was a proposal for land allotment for a church. This

is NOT a rumour as is being claimed by Dharma Reddy, the special officer. Though

no written proposals were received, the idea was to float the "news" and test

the waters. This is the single most important reason for former CM, Chandra Babu

Naidu to come down heavily on this "church" plan in Tirumala. Naidu had

apparently been tipped off by his people in the secretariat and he came down

heavily on this "news".

 

2. Dharma Reddy's reply is most interesting. He claims that 10 1/3 Square miles

of land belong to the Mandir and administered by the TTD. Now, please understand

the strategy. They are now defining the boundary of the extent of the land

(forget the Sacred Seven Hills). Till now there has been no talk of anything

other than the Pavitra Mandir on the Hills. The Hindus believe the entire Seven

Hills as sacred land of Hindus, NOT just the Mandir. We believe that the Seven

Hills belong to the Bhagawan. Not just the Mandir and the land abetting it. The

Special officer does not define boundaries of the extent of the land. He simply

says 10 1/3 Square miles. Meaning a church can easily come in the vicinity

beyond this, which is once again part of one of the Seven Hills. This is more

daring assault on us than the Ayodhya. There is a systematic assault on Hindu

institutions, first the Sankaracharya, then the Pejawar Udipi-Mandiram, now the

Tirumala. Each one, most dear to the Hindus. And the attackers are all

christists or crypto-christists.

 

3. Hindus will forget the incident soon. But the officials headed by the

christist CM have cleverly said the extent of land - 10 1/3 sq miles. A claim

that will stay on record. So do not be surprised if Y. Samuel Reddy permits a

church on Tirumala or one of the Seven Hills claiming that this portion does not

belong to Bhagawan Venkateshwara or the Mandir or TTD and that it is under the

Forest Department control, the warped tongue of the christist can do more harm

unless we assert our stand right now.

 

4. It is essential that we demand the TTD that NO structure of any other

religion is allowed to be set up on any of the Seven Hills. The government

should also be made to declare firmly that the entire Seven Hills is sacred and

belongs to Bhagawan Venkateshwara Mandir.

 

5. People driving to the Tirumala will already find that there are six huge

churches that have come up on the By-pass Road (even in the new By-pass Road)

leading to Alipiri, the foot of the Hills.

 

6. Ajay Kallam (who till recently was the Executive officer of TTD), I

understand from very reliable sources, has been converted to christianity. His

brother has also become a christian. No wonder, this guy tried to auction the

100 acre land belonging to the Hathi Ramji Matham (Tirumala) and we had to

intervene strongly to get the auction cancelled. This happened a year ago.

 

 

Paadhabhivandanamulu,

S V Badri

Chennai