Ritika Jindal, in an interview to Solan Today, which was put on Facebook, revealed her views on the matter. The IAS officer can be seen struggling to construct a single sentence in pure Hindi (the language of people she serves) without resorting to her English vocabulary. More problematic is her worldview which can be interpreted by usage of words such as patriarchy, orthodoxy, long held but outdated rituals, etc.

For a moment, one can confuse her with an officer from the colonial era with a disdain for local culture and traditions, incomprehensible to her modern and European sensitivities. But perhaps thats the biggest achievement of the British rule. Even after seven decades, Indias education and its institutions never decolonised and decoupled themselves from the culture of its erstwhile masters.

This episode has obviously created a lot of outrage and many are demanding that the government sacks her. One wonders what this will achieve except making her a gender-rights activist. Such counterproductive campaigns usually do more harm than good.

Nevertheless, while such views of an Indian government officer are problematic for they speak volumes about our education system and inherent weaknesses of Hindu parenting, the key question that needs to be tackled is this: what business does an IAS officer have changing rituals in a temple?

The reason why officials like Ritika Jindal are interfering in Hindu religious affairs is because they have been put in charge of temples by the governments in state after state. This issue is only the latest controversy which highlights the perils of the government takeover, control and administration of exclusively Hindu places of worship.

In 1984, the then Congress government under the leadership of Virbhadra Singh, passed The Himachal Pradesh Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act. It was a bipartisan affair with only one BJP MLA opposing the move by the state assembly.

The lone dissenter was Ram Rattan Sharma who was also a priest. He had said that the act was a little too harsh and bordered on take-over and interference in Hindu religious affairs but his arguments were received with derisive laughter even from his own partymen, forcing him to quietly leave the house.

Of course, the BJP is none the wiser today. Otherwise it wouldnt be repeating the same mistake by taking over temples left, right and centre in neighbouring Uttarakhand. Even in Himachal, the BJP has amended this 1984 act to take over more temples and mandate how their funds and gold is to be spent.

In 2010, the BJP government in the state mandated a certain amount of temple gold to be deposited for SBI Gold Bond scheme. In 2018, it changed the act ensuring that temples spend 15 per cent of their funds on building and maintaining cow sheds.

The rationale provided for taking over temples always revolves on the principle of improving the administration of the temple. The narrative is built to demonise the priests as greedy and corrupt. And all too commonly, whenever the critics accuse the government of interfering in Hindu religious places, those are met with derision and laughter from the government faithfuls just as it happened with Ram Rattan Sharma in 1984.

But history has proven Ram Rattan Sharma right. The 1984 act was indeed draconian which made some of the most important temples subject to whims and fancies of a government appointed commissioner, a position which was vested with great powers in matters of appointments and removal of pujarin and trustees, approving budgets or expenditures, sacking officials found to be wanting in their job, inspecting temple properties and funds at will, etc.

In fact, the powers of the commissioner or other officers appointed under the act are so absolute that they cannot be challenged in any civil court but only the high court and Supreme Court.

Every temple is required to maintain a register showing the origin, the names of the past and present trustees, customs or uses regarding succession to the office of trustee, the mode of administration and scale of expenditure, details of salaries, duties and conditions of service, details of all assets, particulars of historical records, coloured pictures of the idols, etc, and this is signed by the commissioner.

Every transfer, exchange or sale of temple property requires prior sanction of the commissioner. Anyone in the management found violating the rules can be sent to jail for a year.

Section 8 of the act says that The trustee of a Hindu Public Religious Institution and Charitable Endowments shall carry out all orders made and directions given by the Commissioner under the provisions of this Act.

Section 19 of the act says that The Commissioner may suspend, remove or dismiss the trustee or a pujari of any Hindu Public Religious Institution and Charitable Endowment,....(b) for wilful disobedience of any order issued under the provisions of this Act by the Commissioner or the Government.

(Read the full act here)

No wonder, then that when IAS officer Ritika Jindal decided to order the priest to follow her command in the way temple rituals are to be followed, he had to bend the knee because he, the servant of goddess, may not only lose his job but also be sent to jail if he refuses to follow the orders of the servant of the government.

Though the views of the individual officer in question raise valid concerns about our education system and the level of deracination among English-educated youth, the core issue that this recent controversy has exposed is the peril of government control of temples. It must be opposed by all Hindus irrespective of whether the BJP or a Congress government is bringing a law to take over their sacred spaces.

Originally posted here:

IAS Officer Ritika Jindals Interference In Maa Shoolini Temple Rituals Shows Why Hindus Must Oppose Government Control Of Temples - Swarajya

By Reya Mehrotra

The story of Lord Rama is not exclusive to Valmikis Ramayana. There exist around 300 versions of it in different parts of India and other Asian countries. The oldest version, however, remains Valmikis, which was written in 5th century BC. Here we present some of the most popular versions of the epic.

Phra Lak Phra Ram

Phra Lak Phra Ram is the national epic of Laos. By the time the Ramayana reached Laos, it was adapted locally and is considered a Jataka story. It is the story of two brothersPhra Lak and Phra Ramwho follow dharma and are epitomes of leadership, selflessness and values. In this version, the role of Raphanasuan or Ravana is more dominating than that of the heroes and Ravana is Rams cousin. Ram is also associated with the previous life of Siddhartha Gautam. Sita is called Nang Sida in the version.

Reamker

The Cambodian epic poem Reamker is based on the Ramayana and translates into Glory of Rama. Its surviving text dates back to the 16th century and its earliest mention dates back to the 7th century. The epic is themed on emotions and issues like loyalty, love, trust and revenge. Scenes from the epic are found painted on the walls of the Royal Palace, Angkor Wat and Banteay Srei. Preah Ream (Ram), Neang Seda (Sita) and Preah Leak (Lakshman) are the central characters, while Krong Reap is the antagonist. One finds an amalgamation of Hinduism and Buddhism in the story, which is a battle between good and evil.

Ramakien

Thailands national epic Ramakien, which also literally translates to Glory of Rama, owes its roots to Valmikis Ramayana. It was written in the 18th century. Ramakien has the same morals as the Ramayanagood triumphs over evil. In the story, a battle is fought between King Rama and Tosakanth, the demon king, who falls in love with Ramas wife Sida and kidnaps and takes her to his palace in Krung Longka. The god-king of the apes, Hanuman, helps Rama in the battle with his army.

Kamba Ramayanam

Also called Ramavataram, the Tamil version of the epic was written by Tamil poet Kambar in the 12th century. The storyline and spiritual concepts differ from Valmikis Ramayana, but the work is regarded as one of the greatest literary works of Tamil literature. In Kambars version, Rama has been deified as an incarnation of Vishnu. Other variations include Ravana lifting Sita along with the piece of land she is standing upon without touching her. Sita is shown being dragged by Ravana by her hair in Valmikis Ramayana.

Kakawin Ramayana

The Indonesian version of Ramayana was written in old Javanese in approximately 870 AD during the Mataram kingdom in central Java. Written in a long narrative poem form, it is modelled on traditional Sanskrit meters. While the first part of the story remains the same as Valmikis Ramayana, the second part differs. It talks about the local hero God Semar and his sons. It is said that Ramayana brought about a resurgence of Hinduism in parts of Asia like Sumatra, west and central Java where Buddhism was dominant.

Sri Ranganatha Ramayanamu

The Telugu adaptation of Valmikis Ramayana is believed to be written between 1300 and 1310 AD by poet Ranganatha who made several variations in the course of the events. For instance, the three lines on the squirrels back were portrayed as Ramas blessing, as the squirrel clears the sand from the rock bridge made by Hanuman and his army for Rama. Among the more than 40 adaptations of Ramayana, this one remains one of the most complete and famous ones.

Saptakanda Ramayana

The Assamese version of the Ramayana is believed to be written in the 14-15th century by Madhava Kandali. The explicit portrayal of Rama, Sita and other characters as not heroic by the author rendered the text unfit for religious purposes. He humanised Rama and Sitas characters to suit the taste of common folk. The work is also significant, as it is considered the earliest written example of Assamese language.

Bhanubhakta Ramayana

Considered the first Nepali epic, this version was published in 1887. It was written by Bhanubhakta Acharya in Nepali language and is significant because it democratised Hinduism in Nepal, thus, ending the dominance of Brahmanic priests in interpreting sacred texts. It is said that the Darjeeling literary community recognised the text even before the Nepalis did. The version was translated from Valmikis one with slight variations and no changes in the story. The first English translation of Bhanubhakta Ramayana, done by writer Gokul Sinha, was released in 2016.

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Ramayana retold: Here are some of the most popular versions of the epic - Financial Express

The University of Sydney (USYD) has assured to seriously look into an article in its student newspaper Honi Soit after Hindus protested calling it unnecessarily disparaging and trivializing Hinduism.

Dr. Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor & Principal of USYD, in an email to distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest, wrote:I appreciate that this article has caused you distress and has potentially upset other members of the Hindu communityAny form of religious vilification or discrimination language, imagery or behaviour is unacceptable on our campuses, and I want to reassure you that the University will consider this matter seriouslyI have referred your complaint to the University Registrar and Academic Director, Professor Peter McCallum. The Student Affairs Unit will keep you informed about the progress of this complaint

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, thanked USYD and Dr. Spence for understanding the concerns of Hindu community, which thought that it was highly inappropriate and insensitive for the newspaper of a public research university to blatantly belittle Hinduism, worlds oldest and third largest religion with about 1.2 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought.

Rajan Zed had earlier indicated that a university, funded by tax dollars and student fees (many of whom were Hindu), should not be in the business of callously promoting dismissal of traditions, elements and concepts of others; and deriding entire communities.

Such an unwarranted and twisted misstatement, caricaturing and misrepresenting a religion revered by many, coming out of a public educational institution; was really shocking for the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful Hindu community; which had made lot of contributions to Australia and society in general; and continued to do so; Zed had stated.

Is this how Australias first university USYD founded 1850, which claims to regularly rank in the worlds top 50 universities, accomplishes its slogan We make lives better; Rajan Zed wondered.

Zed had said that Hindus were for free speech and artistic expression as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the devotees.

Rajan Zed had also urged USYD and its Students Representative Council to re-evaluate its systems and procedures and send Honi Soit editors for cultural sensitivity training, so that such an inappropriate stuff did not slip through in the future.

This article, dated October 22, in the Culture section of Honi Soit, described Hinduism as a 200-year-old invention. Weekly Honi Soit claims Quality student journalism since 1929, boasts itself as the most vibrant and prestigious student publication in Australia and seeks to be counterpoint to the racism that plagues the mainstream media.

Hinduism is one of the fastest growing religions in Australia, and according to 2016 census, formed 1.9% of the countrys population numbering at 440,300.

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Read more here:

University of Sydney to seriously look into article in its paper ridiculing Hinduism - NewsPatrolling

Hindus in Malta are urging the government to subsidise cremations abroad until a crematorium is available in Malta.

"Malta, not having a mechanism for the cremation of deceased Hindus, is forcing the community to bury their loved ones in contradiction of their long-held beliefs that burial hindered souls journey; Hindu statesman Rajan Zed said in a statement in Nevada (USA).Zed is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated.

He said that if the government wasunable to offer a subsidy for cremations abroad, then in the meantime, Hindus should be allowed to cremate their deceased on traditional open pyres in Malta. For this purpose, Malta Government should allot a cremation ground near a body of water where Hindus could cremate their deceased on open pyres.

The Hindu community said cremation abroad comes to around 5,000, but added options can raise the cost. Many non-Hindus now also prefer cremation over burial.

Zed said that Malta should show some maturity and be more responsive to the hurt feelings of its hard-working, harmonious and peaceful Hindu community which, he observed, has been in the country since 1800s and has made lot of contributions to the nation and society.

As an interfaith gesture, Zed urged Archbishop Scicluna and Cardinal-elect Mario Grech to support their Hindu brothers and sisters on this issue.

Independent journalism costs money. Support Times of Malta for the price of a coffee.

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Hindus urge Malta government to subsidise cremation abroad - Times of Malta

Written by ZEESHAN SHAIKH , Edited by Explained Desk | Mumbai | Updated: October 31, 2020 12:08:17 pm Members of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (an alliance of political parties including National Conference, PDP, CPI, CPM and Peoples Conference) at a meeting on October 24, 2020. (Express Photo: Shuaib Masoodi)

The land laws that were amended and notified by the Centre for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday (October 26) have omitted the protection earlier available to its permanent residents. It allows the purchase of non-agricultural land by outsiders, even though the government may provide some protection through notifications.

The decision, celebrated by BJP leaders and spokespersons, has given fresh wind to fears expressed by political parties in Kashmir about attempts to fundamentally alter the demography of the Valley. On Tuesday, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah posted on Twitter that the Centre had now ended even the tokenism of domicile, and that J&K is now up for sale.

The Census of 2011 showed that the religious make-up of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir had remained almost entirely unchanged over the previous half century. The special status of Jammu and Kashmir under the Constitution was removed on August 5, 2019, and the state was split into two Union Territories.

What was the demographic make-up of the state of Jammu and Kashmir before Independence?

The pre-Independence Census of 1941 recorded Muslims as constituting 72.41% of the population, and Hindus 25.01%. Thereafter, the proportion of Muslims in the states population fell gradually.

So how did the demography of Jammu and Kashmir change between Independence and now?

Jammu and Kashmir was not a part of independent Indias first Census in 1951. The 1961 Census showed that Muslims, with a population of 24.32 lakh, constituted 68.31% of the states population of 35.60 lakh, while Hindus, numbering 10.13 lakh, made up 28.45%.

A full 50 years later, these percentages came out identical: the Census of 2011 recorded the Muslim population at 85.67 lakh again, 68.31% of the total population of 125.41 lakh (1.25 crore). And the Hindu population was 35.66 lakh 28.43% of the total. Express Explained is now on Telegram

And how did the share of population of the two communities change in the Censuses in between?

The percentage of Muslims in the (erstwhile) state started to fall after the 1961 Census when the community made up 68.3 per cent of the population. In the Census of 1971, it was 65.83 per cent and, in the Census of 1981, it fell to 64.19 per cent.

The beginning of militancy ensured no Census could be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir in 1991. But in the next Census in 2001, the proportion of Muslims in the population touched 66.97 per cent more than the communitys share in 1971. And in 2011, it had risen further to reach exactly what it was in 1961 (68.31%).

Consequently, the share of Hindus in the population moved in the opposite direction increasing from 28.45 per cent in 1961 to 30.42 per cent in 1971, and peaking at 32.24 per cent in 1981; before falling to 29.62 per cent in 2001 and further to 28.43 per cent in 2011.

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How has the demography changed at the level of individual districts?

Jammu and Kashmir originally had 14 districts six each in the Kashmir and Jammu divisions, and two in Ladakh. Ten of these districts were Muslim-majority all six in Kashmir, three in Jammu, and one in Ladakh.

The remaining three districts in Jammu had a Hindu majority, and the remaining district in Ladakh was Buddhist majority.

In 2006, eight new districts were created, taking the total number of districts in the erstwhile state to 22.

Of these, 17 are Muslim majority 10 in Kashmir, six in Jammu, and one in Ladakh. Hindus are the majority community in four districts of the Jammu division; Buddhists are the majority in Leh.

In most districts of Kashmir, the percentage of Hindus went up in the 2011 Census as compared to 2001. The same was the case with Muslims in the districts of Jammu.

What is the share of migrants in the population of (the erstwhile state of) Jammu and Kashmir?

Only about 1.64 lakh (1.31 per cent) of the 1.25 crore population of Jammu and Kashmir (as per the 2011 Census) are people who stay there, but who were born elsewhere. In India as a whole, 4.64 per cent of the population lives in a state in which they were not born.

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Muslim-Hindu demography of Jammu and Kashmir: What the Census numbers show - The Indian Express