– Editor
The Statement & Resolutions Passed by The Hidu Dharma Acharya Sabha held at Chennai on November 29, 30 & December 1, 2003
: Reproduced below is the full text of the statement and resolutions released by the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha. Probably, it is the first time in the history of modern Hinduism that nearly 70 Dharma Acharyas of many ancient and important Hindu sampradayas assembled together to take stock of the problems and the future of Hindu society. The venerable acharyas deliberated on some of the most pressing problems Hindus are facing today. Hence, these resolutions and all the prospective activities of the Dharma Acharya Sabha are worthy of our support by all possible means – Editor
Statement & Resolutions
1. The Acharya Sabha, comprising the Heads of various Sampradayas within the single composite whole known from time immemorial as Sanatana Dharma, deliberated comprehensively for three days on November 29, 30 and December 1, 2003 on several issues of concern and importance for the Hindu Society.
2. This Acharya Sabha crystallizes the collective Hindu consciousness and speaks now and shall speak in future, in a single Hindu voice.
3. The substance of the deliberations is mentioned below in a brief statement and is followed by the Resolutions passed.
STATEMENT
Whereas, Sanatana Dharma is a living continuity over several thousand years, catering to the spiritual, religious and cultural needs of diverse people of Bharata Varsha and embodies an inclusive, all integrating philosophy synonymous with the national ethos of this ancient country and civilization;
Whereas, the inclusive nature of Sanatana Dharma which is also called Hinduism which seeks to accommodate several concepts in human efforts to understand the relation between Divinity, Human being and the Universe, has been in the past, and is now too, misunderstood as lack of unity;
Whereas, within the Hindu fold, followers of Sanatana Dharma enjoy full freedom in terms of altar and modes of worship;
Whereas, Sanatana Dharma accepts the same freedom for followers of other religions of the world;
Whereas, Sanatana Dharma has never in the past sought, nor seeks now, to subvert, conquer or denigrate other religious persuasions and faiths;
Whereas, this approach is being taken advantage of by the organized, aggressive religious traditions with origins from outside Bharat to such an extent that there has arisen a clear and present danger to Sanatana Dharma;
Whereas, such aggressive religions which exist in the country derive all types of support and sustenance from abroad including from governments;
THE ACHARYA SABHA PASSES THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS AND CALLS FOR THEIR IMPLEMENTATION BY APPROPRIATE MEANS:
RESOLUTIONS:
1. Nomenclature:
Henceforth, the Sabha be known under the title “ The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha.”
2. Religious Freedom: It is resolved –
to proclaim that religious freedom means freedom to follow one’s own religion or faith and peaceful practices accordingly;
that religious freedom does not mean disruption of peace and harmony within a family or society at any level in the name of religion;
that freedom of religion may include freedom to expound the tenets and beliefs of a religion but does not include the right to denigrate any other religion or to mislead an individual or a community or to use subtle or blatant, implicit or explicit, aggressive means to bring people, singly or in group into one’s own religious fold.
3. Religious Conversion: It is resolved –
to reject the theory put forward that people are not converted but convert themselves out of spiritual and religious conviction;
to call religious conversion by denigrating the religion of the targeted person as violence committed against the person’s soul, family, community, culture and religion;
to tell the world that conversion is not a movement to enhance the spirituality of a people but it is an organized campaign to surround, attack and significantly reduce the number of followers of Sanatana Dharma;
to call upon the State governments to follow the footsteps of Tamilnadu and Gujarat and legislate to place a ban on such religious conversions as by force, fraud or allurements, overt and covert, and implement the legislation vigorously;
to appeal to the leadership of proselytising religions in the country to review and change their theological disposition towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) to promote harmony and avoid any conflict, violence and disruption in the Indian Society.
4. Welfare of Temples, control and use of funds and property of temples:
4. Welfare of Temples, control and use of funds and property of temples:
Whereas, the temples of Hindus are not only places of religious worship but centres of cultural concerns and activities;
Whereas, consolidated Statewide legislations to cover and control places of worship, their properties and financial income and management apply only to Hindu temples under the ostensibly public purpose of improvement of facilities to devotees and better management;
Whereas, no such legislation is applied to places of worship of other religions in the country, notwithstanding whether they suffer from unaccountability, malfeasance and mismanagement;
Whereas, the income accruing to temples from Hindu devotees are being merged in general Government funds and loses its sacred identity;
Whereas, such temple incomes are not being utilized primarily for the welfare of the temples and Hindu devotees;
Whereas, such incomes are being utilized indirectly through the Budget mechanism for other than the cause of Hindu temples and Hindu Dharma;
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED:
To call upon the State and Central Governments –
1. To undertake only where there is a genuine requirement, temple-specific legislation, ensuring in the process that the temple property and income are managed by genuinely autonomous bodies associating only Hindus of good repute and genuine commitment in the management;
2. To apply similar legislation to the institutions of other religions also, as may be appropriate or necessary;
3. To declare, ordain and commend to eventually remove all controls on Hindu temples, religious and charitable institutions, consistent with the principle that the Secular State shall not interfere in the religious affairs of any religion;
4. To encourage and help the people engaged in the retrieval of ancient temples, in rebuilding destroyed temples and preserving ancient and sacred sites of Hindu heritage.
5. Common Civil Code:
Whereas, the constitution of the country has made a commitment and has given a promise to the people of the country to provide a common civil law for all the citizens of the country; and
Whereas, the criminal law and related statues are applicable uniformly to all citizens of the country;
Whereas, there is no ethnic minority in India;
IT IS RESOLVED :
to call upon the Government of India and all political parties to rapidly move towards implementing the Constitutional commitment without being swayed by fear or favour, in respect of the non-Hindu religions in the country dropping the false pretext of minority safeguard;
to extend the privileges and rights enjoyed by other religions in the country, to the Hindus also.
6. Ban on Cow-slaughter:
Whereas, the State and Central governments in the country have been and are overtly sensitive to the claims and demands of Christians and Muslims in the country, on the grounds of their religious sentiments;
Whereas, the governments do not take due note of and respect the religious sentiments of Hindus despite their being in vast majority in the country;
Whereas, the Constitution of the country makes a specific promise to ban the slaughter of cows;
IT IS RESOLVED –
to call upon all Governments in the country to honestly implement this Constitutional commitment of ban on cow-slaughter and to take steps necessary for the proper upkeep of the cow that is sacred to the Hindus.
7. Upliftment of Hindu Society:
Whereas, the social and economic conditions of people in rural and remote areas of the country are such that fair opportunity is still not available to all of them for self-development and realization of their potential;
Whereas, several Hindu organizations and religious institutions are doing very valuable social service in the fields of education, public health etc., in the areas within their reach;
Whereas, it is necessary to explore the scope for complementarities in such Seva activities and effect synergy in them;
IT IS RESOLVED:
that on behalf of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha appropriate mechanisms shall be established to realize the benefits of such coordination, complementarities and synergy.
8. Operational Mandate:
Whereas, the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha shall function as the body of high guidance and shall meet periodically at the national or the regional levels for:
a) taking stock periodically of the situation and concerns of Hindus in the country and elsewhere; and
b) pursuing the efforts to implement the foregoing resolutions and decisions taken from time to time;
Whereas, a permanent Secretariat is proposed to be set at Delhi to:
a) work out an action plan and implement it appropriately with the good offices of participating institutions;
b) function as a coordinating unit and clearing house of mutually useful information;
c) operate a central database available for the use of constituents of the Hindu Acharya Dharma Sabha and Dharma Samstha Pramukh Sabha engaged in economic and social upliftment of the Hindu populace, and
d) to liaise and coordinate with the government machinery;
IT IS RESOLVED THAT:
1. Such a coordinating secretarial unit shall be established at Delhi;v
2. A flexible and comprehensive mandate is given to the Convener of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha for
a) guiding the Secretariat; .
b) drawing up plans of action;
c) supervising their implementation;
d) liaising with the members of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha membership and of the Dharma Samstha Pramukh Sabha, individually and severally;
e) operating as a quick-acting interface with governments and other bodies in the outside world and interacting with them in the furtherance of the interests and welfare of Hindus in general, and in implementing the resolutions and decisions of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha in particular.
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