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