India: Buddhist monk seeks PM's intervention in Buddha shrine dispute resolution

Buddhist monk seeks PM's intervention in Buddha shrine dispute resolution

Abdul Qadir,TNN | Apr 30, 2015, 11.53 AM IST

GAYA: Bhadant Pragyasheel, Buddhist monk and former chief priest of the world famous Mahabodhi temple has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to end the century old dispute over management rights of the shrine associated with Buddha's enlightenment.

For nearly 125 years now Hindus and Buddhists are engaged in a tussle over management rights of the shrine. Whereas the Buddhists demand total Buddhist control over the shrine management, outfits like VHP and RSS question Buddhist monopoly over Buddha on the ground that Buddha was not a Buddhist alone deity as Hindus too worship Buddha as a Vishnu incarnate.

In a petition addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bhadant Pragyasheel, who, besides being the former chief priest of the shrine, is also the General Secretary of the All India Buddhist Mahavihar Liberation Action committee, has reiterated the demand for total Buddhist control over the shrine. When Srilankan Buddhist missionary Angarika Dhammapala first raised the demand for Buddhist monopoly over Mahabodhi shrine management in the year 1891, the shrine was the personal property of the chief of the Shivite monastery of Bodh Gaya.

Subsequently, the Bihar govt. incorporated the Mahabodhi Temple Management Act 1949 in which the shrine was to be jointly managed by a nine member committee comprising five Hindus and four Buddhists with the Hindu District Magistrate of Gaya being the ex officio chairman of the committee and in the case of Gaya DM being a non Hindu, the state govt had to nominate a Hindu as the chairman of the committee.

A couple of years back, the Act was amended to make the post of chairman religion neutral and as per the amended act, whatever be the religious belief of the Gaya DM he/she will be the ex officio chairman of the management Committee.

In his petition addressed to PM Modi, the shrine former chief priest has invoked articles 25 and 26 of the constitution guaranteeing religious freedom to the Indian citizens and control of followers of a particular religion over their respective places of worship was there in the spirit of constitution. The Buddhists maintain that as Hindus manage their temples, Muslims manage the mosques and Sikhs manage the Gurudwaras etc. the Buddhists too should have complete management rights over Mahabodhi temple, the seat and symbol of Buddha's enlightenment.

Bhadant Pragyasheel hoped that the PM will do justice to the Buddhists and take the initiative to transfer Buddha shrine management to an all Buddhist Committee instead of the joint Hindu-Buddhist management under the present system.

A few years back the then Bihar Govenor RS Gavai and Acharya Kishore Kunal, Chief of the Bihar Religious Trust Board worked on a formula to resolve the century old dispute. As per the Gavai-Kunal formula, Buddhists were to be given more say in the shrine management with the post of shrine management committee secretary being reserved for the Buddhist. But the formula was abandoned following the premature transfer of Gavai from Bihar to Kerala as Governor.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Buddhist-monk-seeks-PMs-intervention-in-Buddha-shrine-dispute-resolution/articleshow/47106246.cms