Can the Chidambaram Nataraja temple can go back to Tamil Nadu (TN) government control again? Though the Supreme Court (SC) was quite scathing on the state government’s interference in the temples during its 2014 judgment, which reversed the 1,200-year-old temple management back to the Podhu Dikshitars (temple priests), it also spoke about the mismanagement done by the priests — “We would also like to bring on the record that various instances whereby acts of mismanagement/maladministration/ misappropriation alleged to have been committed by Podhu Dikshitars have been brought to our notice.”
The Tamil Nadu government may have chances to take back the temple under its control when it highlights that aspect and focus on alleged irregularities by the priests-run temple management, even if the SC says such control should not be superseding and should only be for a limited time.
What is more important to see here is the Tamil Nadu government’s intent that gives conflicting signals, something that targets in only one direction — to take back the control of the temple management.
Recent statements of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) minister convey this. HR&CE looks after the temples under the state government. The minister visited the Chidambaram temple on May 7. After the temple Darshan and meeting Dikshithars, the minister, PK Sekar Babu, assured them that the state government’s intention was to act only as a bridge between the priests and the devotees. He also emphasised that the government will solve the issue without affecting the customs and rituals.
His assurance follows another statement given by him on June 4 or his first assurance that the temple will not be taken over by the Tamil Nadu government, adding that the HR&CE department had no such intentions and the current exercise was just to address the complaints registered by devotees.
But his both assurances look dicey when seen it in the light of his reaction on the Chidambaram Nataraj temple on March 23 this year. It was in fact a clear warning as reported in the New Indian Express, “During a review meeting, chief minister MK Stalin, had directed a team of lawyers to be appointed to study the feasibility for filing an appeal petition challenging the verdict. Also, a committee headed by a joint commissioner is studying what is going on in the Chidambaram temple. This government will not hesitate to take action against the errant people.”
Taking Action Against Errant People
Let’s see the list of allegations against the temple priests and missteps by them.
In February this year, 20 priests of the temple were booked under the SC/ST Act. They allegedly stopped a Scheduled Caste woman from offering prayers. The woman also alleged the temple priests didn’t allow her to her enter the ‘Kanagasabai Medai’, is a holy platform to offer prayers.
The platform was earlier open to the public but was restricted to priests only during the pandemic. The priests decided to continue banning it for public even after opening the temple after the Covid pandemic. The decision was widely criticised and protests were held. Devotees also want to sing hymns in Tamil, which was earlier allowed.
On May 19, the Tamil Nadu government overturned this ban allowing the ordinary people to use the holy platform. The clear message was – as Covid-19 is under control, please go back to pre-existing rules.
HR&CE Notice
It was followed by the HR&CE notice on allegations of irregularities by the temple management. The HR&CE pointed out that under the rights of the act they were entitled to inspect the temple records and the temple priests could not question its jurisdiction. The department sought temple’s financial records since 2014, how the revenue was used, details about temple assets, its land records and leases and other such related aspects.
The department justified its notice quoting Sections 23 and 33 of the Hindu Charities Act, 1959. These sections enable the HR&CE to inspect temples on complaints received by general public and devotees to see if the rules and regulations are being followed correctly or the temple management needs a reorganisation, as they say.
To sum it up, as per the rules the officials claim the HR&CE has rights to inspect any temple not even under its control to find if the temple management is involved in alleged irregularities.
Temple Management in Question?
The HR&CE probe panel inspection visits are scheduled for May 8 and May 9. A report will be prepared based on the probe panel’s findings for further action. While the HR&CE minister again reiterated yesterday that his department didn’t want to take over the temple, when we read into the fine lines, the temple management may see problems ahead if the probe committee report indeed highlights irregularities.
In March, in fact, Sekar Babu had blamed the previous AIADMK government for not appealing against the top court’s decision to give the Chidambaram Nataraja temple back to the priests. That is to be seen in the light of the fact that the TN chief minsiter has already directed to appoint a legal team to see if the state government can file a review petition against the SC verdict.
SC Verdict Keeps Options Open
The SC was quite clear in the Chidambaram Nataraja verdict that the priests constitute a religious denomination and they should manage the temple and not the TN government. But the verdict itself gives a window for the state government to intervene, “Even if the management of a temple is taken over to remedy the evil, the management must be handed over to the person concerned immediately after the evil stands remedied.”
So, even if it is for a limited time, and if the HR&CE probe panel indeed finds irregularities, the state government can ask for the temple management back under the HR&CE department’s control to remedy the evil.
The SC verdict adds, “The reason is that the objective to take over the management and administration is not the removal and replacement of the existing administration but to rectify and stump out the consequences of maladministration.”
Or it can serve as a template for the TN government to file review petition against the 2014 SC verdict.
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