In a surprising turn, the bill aimed at amending the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendments) Act, which was previously defeated in the legislative council due to the BJP’s disapproval, has now been passed again in the assembly. The amendment purports to increase the funds available for temples which have little or no revenue by pooling resources from other temples.
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Strangely, the passage of the bill in the assembly this time was smooth. The BJP and pro-Hindu organisations did raise concerns, accusing the government of using funds from wealthy Hindu temples for purposes unrelated to their maintenance and development. They contend that these funds should not be used on non-Hindu religious establishments.
Despite facing opposition in the Upper House, the government managed to ensure the passage of the bill in the assembly once again, with the help of their ally JD(S). This move has sparked controversy and debate among various stakeholders.
Muzrai temples in Karnataka
The Muzrai Department, a division of the Government of Karnataka, provides financial assistance for religious and philanthropic endeavours. The term “muzrai” is derived from the colloquial “mujra” (not to be taken for the homophonous Urdu word), which signifies an allowance or deduction. This department approves grants in the name of an organization and subsequently disburses the funds in accordance with specific criteria.
Currently, there are 34,563 temples under the jurisdiction of the Muzrai department. These temples are categorised into three grades based on their annual income.
- Grade A temples have an annual income above Rs 25 lakh
- Grade B temples have an annual income between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, and
- Grade C temples have an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh.
Each temple has a separate government-appointed management committee. However, a state-level Dharmika Parishad, which acts as a quasi-judicial body, oversees all temples. The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act of 1997 governs the administration of these temples.
In 2011, the then-BJP government amended the law, allowing the government to collect funds from high-income temples to support those with little or no income. The state government would draw these funds into a common pool managed by the Dharmik Parishad.
By the amendment, temples with an annual income between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh were required to contribute 5% of their net income to the common pool while those with an annual income above Rs 10 lakh had to contribute 10%. The current Muzrai minister, Ramalinga Reddy, stated that the annual contribution to the pool is approximately Rs 8 crore.
The Karnataka government’s amendment to the Act aims to increase the contribution from affluent temples to a shared pool while exempting the financially weaker ones. This amendment seeks to address the disparity in financial resources among temples and ensure a more equitable distribution of funds.
Under this amendment, temples with an annual income exceeding Rs 1 crore will be required to contribute 10% of their income to the pool. This contribution will help fund various developmental projects and initiatives undertaken by the government.
Additionally, temples with incomes ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs one crore will be required to contribute 5% of their income to the pool.
Such a tiered approach ensures that larger temples, which have greater financial resources, contribute a higher percentage to the pool. At the same time, temples with annual incomes of Rs 10 lakh and below will be exempted from contributing to the pool.
This exemption is in appreciation of the financial constraints faced by smaller temples and ensures that they are not burdened with additional financial obligations. Through this amendment, the government anticipates collecting approximately Rs 50 crore annually. These funds will be utilised for the development and maintenance of temples, as well as for the welfare of the community surrounding these temples.
Editorial comment
Thus, the notion that this temple tax is a kind of jizya has proved false. The temple tax of Karnataka is more like richer students of a charitable school paying fat fees so that poorer students can get education for free or at a nominal, subsidised fee.
However, the larger question of whether temples should remain in state control remains, as no such regulation by a state authority works on mosques or churches, pagodas or synagogues, gurudwaras or fire temples. What if, while trying to be fair to the poorer temples, all temples become financially unsustainable, as it often happens in socialist models? What if the bureaucrats in charge of the fund pooling turn out to be corrupt, earning a bad name for Hindu institutions? What if one Hindu sect, say a Shaiva sect, does not want to share its resources with another, say a Vaishnava sect? Given that any government in India, of the union or a state, is a secular structure, can it do justice to the money meant for religion? Finally, how can people be sure that the government is not siphoning off a part of the temple tax for secular or irreligious purposes or spending it on religions that are hostile to Hindus and Hinduism?
