NEW DELHL Indian Buddhists have challenged the vires of Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949 through a writ petition filed in Supreme Court by M.O.Kandaswamy founder-President of Navayan Buddhist Society Tamil Nadu. The writ is based on the plea that the legislation denies to Buddhists the right to establish and maintain their own religious institutions A three-member bench comprising judges J.S. Verma Yogeshwar Dayal and N. Venkatachala issued notices to the Bihar government a state where the main Buddhist shrine is located the Indian government and the Indian ministry of law and justice. The petitioner has also sought a direction from the court for the removal of the Hindu priest who has put up a rock symbolizing the penis of Hindu god Shiva an object worshipped by Hindus in the Bodh Gaya temple.
The constitution of the committee managing the Buddhist shrine with the provision of a majority of Hindus has been cited by the petitioner as an evidence of Indian government’s interference in the affairs of Buddhist religious minority The petitioner further says that Buddhists have started a peaceful agitation to free their shrine of the Hindu domination.
He further says that Buddhist countries like Nepal Sri Lanka and other south-east Asian counties are interested in freeing the shrine. These countries are planning to take the matter to the International Court of Justice.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 4, 1992
