It seems the retired High Court judge chosen to bring reforms in the Jagannath Temple Act never looked beyond the mundane, routine aspects of the concern for which he was requested to rush in and show ways to public relief. Anyone truly sincere could have taken inspiration from the drastic reforms brought in to the Tirupati Balaji and Maata Vaishnodevi temples in the recent times. Maybe, the ‘terms of reference’ were vague or the judge could not see or sniff the most contentious problems that don’t ever go because of the faulty or obsolete temple laws causing distress to all.
The Andhra Pradesh Government had identified the biggest problem pin-pointedly: The illogical hereditary rights of the priestly communities which came in the way of any devotee-friendly rules and managing the shrine well. By holding the hereditary card at all times, the priests kept causing havoc. If by any chance they suspected their personal financial interests would suffer, they did not even hesitate to play the ‘strike work’ tactics. The temple administrators were oftentimes held to ransom.
The then Chief Minister NT Rama Rao first abolished the hereditary rights of the servitors. Annoyed servitors moved courts against the decision, but eventually the Supreme Court dismissed their prayer saying the Government was right in ensuring the joy and comfort of the devotees and, above all, the hereditary right was an archaic, obsolete and illogical tradition in the modern times. Monarchs and feudal lords were dismissed in a democratic republic; so hereditary priests and servitors too must go.
Nearly similar problems had bogged down the authorities in the Himalayan cave shrine of Maata Vaishnodevi. loads of money was pilfered or stolen. The devotees suffered like slaves. One God–sent administrator called Jagmohan fixed everything within months by using the ‘iron hand and the whip’ methods.
In months, the shrine became a paradise on earth. Devotees not only got great mountain roads to take joyously but also had everything free: stay, safekeeping of personal effects and more. Food was nearly free.
These two temples are now the richest in the world as devotees donate liberally and the money goes mostly to social work and peripheral development. The priests are just paid salary commensurate with their knowledge, skills and level of responsibility. No ordinary devotee there would ever bump into servitors as the latter are virtually unseen.
Good system takes care of everything unlike in Puri where countless servitors keep creating chaos. Shockingly, they are born servitors like erstwhile monarchs climbed onto thrones because of heredity. Highly disciplined and truly devotee-friendly servitors are of course around, but their number is negligible. The ill-behaved, uneducated ones have become more unruly because they have a hereditary right.
lately, the Odisha Government set up a commission headed by a retired High Court judge, who is probably finding it tough to sniff the rat and locate the rot in the system. If he eventually evades the ‘heredity issue’ by saying it was not part of the terms of reference, he would be considered suspect as an ally of some self-centric servitors who want to make hay without sunshine.
A sane, knowledgeable judge would know where the plaguing factor lies and can propose beyond the terms of reference, which automatically become part of the brief. But if he has not found the heredity factor a big contentious issue, he has wasted precious public time and money.
As the word goes, at least one hundred learned citizens have suggested abolition of the hereditary rights of the servitors which solve all problems like in Tirupati. The judge should have taken keener interest in learning how Tirupati turned a most devotee-friendly shrine on the planet.
In Puri, the Hundi collection is not spent on social work; it’s kept away after a sizeable portion given away to servitors. The temple has no free lodges for poor devotees like in ancient times. Corporates have put up Dharamshalas since ages which have nothing to do with temple money. Unfortunately, the great Jagannath Temple administration has not even brought in place any system for free keeping of footwear and personal effects; let alone free food and stay.
There have been hurting incidents of women fainting due to bladder pressure as not a single public toilet for ladies was available. Only during the last big festival, the smart young District Magistrate had got a good toilet facility at a cost of twenty lakh rupees quite near the temple establishment on the grand road. But the freshly removed Chief Administrator got it completely pulled down days ago, saying the facility did not go well with the structure nearby.
This Chief Administrator did not even stand by the young, courageous DM when he fought some unruly, militant, scripture-ignorant servitors who brazenly violated High Court rulings and did not even appear at the IAS community solidarity meet to organise support for a gutsy member.
Allegedly, the previous Chief Administrator did act on backbiting and poison whispered into his ears by a low-level guide. People wonder as to how a real good officer turned so bad in time and that too when serving the deities at a world-famous Hindu shrine, where rotten people turn saints.
The Hundi came only recently. The Hundi master, a Chief Administrator, began so well but grew arrogant and did great damage by indirectly siding with unruly servitors. He has been shown the door recently, and a much more prudent, ethical and skilled Chief Administrator has just taken charge.
Centuries ago, the monarchs who gave shape to the great temple had made adequate arrangements for devotees to have free stay and food by establishing mutts and ashrams all around the little town on sea. Volunteer servitors were given property and other benefits so as to keep their spirit high in serving the devotees with as much devotion as shown to the deities.
The Jagannath Temple at Puri is much bigger in size than Tirupati and Maata Vaishnodevi temples but has lost popularity primarily because of the servitor menace which has grown over the years, particularly after the live telecast was organised by a Minister in a Congress Government quite some time ago.
Hopefully, the big retired judge will take note of the people’s anxieties and mend his recommendations accordingly so as to turn the great shrine a place of divine joy and peace.
*The legal community of Odisha was put to shame when some unruly, law-ignorant advocates heckled a revered guest who is a member of the Bar Council of India only because he stood by the historic amendments made to the obsolete Advocates Act of 1961. Only because the ignorant ones were afraid their easy moneymaking methods would not work anymore.
The BCI has severally expressed anxiety over the fact that more than forty per cent of the registered lawyers are fake.
Now, ‘misconduct’ includes any conduct of an advocate in breach of or non- observance of the standard of professional conduct or etiquette required to be observed by the advocate or forbidden act or an unlawful behaviour or disgraceful and dishonourable conduct or neglect or not working diligently and criminal breach of trust. The Disciplinary Committee shall also consist of two eminent persons from outside law field and one nominated by the High Court.
A Special Public Grievance Redressal Committee of the BCI shall inquire into any allegation or complaint of corrupt practices or misconduct against any office-bearer or member of the Bar Council of India. Interestingly, the litigating lawyers will have to undergo pre-enrolment training for one year, entrance test for admission in the institutions imparting legal education in the country. No more strikes and boycotts to which lawyers resorted at the drop of a hat. Violation will result in cancellation of licence.
Thus, Odisha is bound to suffer: bad job by the temple commission and unruly advocates still able to make trouble. Ordinary people will be forced to rise and take action as the state of affairs looks so grim!
(The writer is a core member of Transparency International, Odisha)