In a controversial move Andhra Pradesh Government has issued notices to the non-Hindu tenant farmers cultivating the temple lands in the State asking them to hand over their lands to the authorities as henceforth only Hindu tenants will be allowed to cultivate these land.
The notices were served on Muslim as well as Dalit Christian farmers who were cultivating the lands of temples or Hindu mutts so far. The officials have been asked to take the help of the police if necessary to evict non Hindu farmers.
This is the first time that the State Government has resorted to such a discretionary move in the State’s history.
The development has come as the agriculture season was beginning in the State with the onset of monsoon.
The controversial orders were issued under the GO No 425, which was brought by the Hindu Endowments Department last year restricting the cultivation of temple lands only to Hindus.
One clause of the GO says, “no person professing a religion other than Hinduism in entitled to obtain lease either through tender cum public auction or otherwise”.
In case of Dalit Christians an exemption was being made for those who bring a certificate from the local church that they were practicing Christians. However the orders were enforced in case of all Muslims and their land lease was not being renewed.
According to one estimate three lakh acre land was there under the temples in the State, which were under the Government control. Majority of the farmers cultivating these lands were Dalits.