Date: 2/10/2004
................IS INDIA A SECULAR COUNTRY?
I have great doubt about that. Let us define a secular country. In a secular country the government does not interfere with peoples religion, activities and institutions. In America the U.S. Government does not interfere in any Church, Mosque and Temple activities as well as finances.
In India, the Indian Government in many states control the money of the Hindu Temples they take the left over money and use it any way they like including giving money to the Islamic and Christian people. Now the interesting part is that the Indian Government does not do anything or does not control the Islamic Mosque or Christian Church finances. Now this shows that Hindus are treated like second class citizens.
Hindu Press International says:
"MUMBAI. INDIA, February 3, 2004: The Maharashtra government has admitted to the Bombay High Court that funds from Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple are being diverted to a charity run by a politician. In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the state said that US$190,000 from the temple trust was transferred to Dada Undalkar Smarak Samiti -- a trust run by Minister for Welfare, Rehabilitation and Textiles Vilasrao Patil Undalkar. After the Saibaba Temple at Shirdi, the Siddhivinayak is the second richest in the state. But unlike other temples, whose finances are regulated and controlled by a charity commissioner."
When a secular government interferes in religious activities of people and Temples, where they do not treat all human beings equal many people call this type of government sudo-secular government. Why do Hindus tolerate such injustice. Is it because we've been slaves too many years? An American proverb says that people deserve the Government they have. Are Hindus weak, ignorant or just do not care? May God Bless India.
Bharat J. Gajjar
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