The DMK’s election manifesto has upset the Hindu community in Tamil Nadu. The Dravidian party’s announcement in its manifesto that it would establish a land Bank for protecting vacant land belonging to temples and its proposal to consider the demand of the people who are offering to purchase temple land is seen by Hindus across the State as an attempt by the DMK to grab temple land.
The Dravidian parties, especially the DMK has been in the forefront in helping party leaders and associates in grabbing land belonging to the temples. The DMK’s announcement that it would consider the request by the people who are offering to purchase temple land is nothing but an attempt to legalise land grabbing,” TR Ramesh, Temple Worshippers Society, told The Pioneer. Ramesh has been waging legal wars against land grabbing by successive Dravidian Governments over the last one decade.
Ramesh, an international corporate banker-turned social activist, has starting revelations which he collected through RTI and investigations. “The 1986 policy note of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department says the Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu had 5.25 lakh acres of agricultural land under their ownership. But by 2015, the land has come down to 4.78 lakh acres. There is no account for 47,000 acres of agricultural land,” said Ramesh.
Uma Anandan, who has first-hand experience in administering temples, pointed out that the DMK has a penchant for land grabbing. “All of us saw this during the 2006 to 2011 regime of Karunanidhi. Most of the temple land has been grabbed by people owing allegiance to the DMK, “alleged Anandan, who is the vice-president of the TWS.
She pointed out the hypocrisy and double standard of the DMK while dealing with issues concerning the Wakf Board. “The DMK manifesto declares that the properties of the Wakf Board would be recovered from encroachers and protected. Why the DMK is not doing the same with the temple lands which have been encroached upon by the politicians and their associates,” asked Anandan.
Ramesh pointed out that the DMK had squandered acres and acres of temple lands by handing over land free of cost to various individuals and institutions in the name of development and progress. “Nearly 300 acres of prime land belonging to Thiruvarur Temple was given free of cost to the Central University of Tamil Nadu at Thiruvarur. This was done during the tenure of Karunanidhi as Chief Minister. Please remember that Thiruvarur is the constituency he represented in the Assembly,” said Ramesh.
Quoting Government records, Ramesh said that the Karunanidhi regime of 2006-2011 gave away nearly 60 acres of Tiruppur Temple land free of cost to build the Civil Station when Tiruppur district was carved out, “They will grab only temple lands for such purpose as they feel that nobody would question them,” said Anandan.
D Jayakumar, general secretary, Sanskar Bharati Tamil Nadu, said all Mutt chiefs are upset over the move by the DMK to grab more lands belonging to temples and Mutts. He said laws and rules connected with temple and Mutt lands are clear. “They could be used only for charity to help poor people belonging to the Hindu religion as they do not enjoy any resefrvation benefits or any Government concessions. The Mutts are entrusted with the responsibility of propagating the religion/sect they represent,” said Jayakumar.
Ramesh said more than a land Board, what Tamil Nadu needs today is a land Administration Board with legal authority. “Such an institution would be able to bring back the temple lands encroached upon by land grabbers. This will help in retrieving the 95 per cent of the temple land from unauthorised occupants who do not have any tenancy deeds,” said Ramesh.