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DCcantevictcozhesnotHindu
AProvisionInTheActPreventsHimFromEnforcingLaw
NaheedAtaulla|TNN
Bangalore:Itsasimpleadministrativejobofevictingpeopleoccupying
templelandfollowingexpiryoflease.Thecourttoohasgivenitsnod.But
theofficercantactbecauseheishamstrungbyrules.
ThedeputycommissionerofMandyadistrictcantevictviolatorsinthe
LakshmiJanardhanatempleafterthegovernmentdecidedagainstrenewing
theleasewhichexpiredin2005,becauseheisaMuslim.Whatscomingin
theway?AprovisionintheHinduReligiousInstitutionsandCharitable
EndowmentsAct,1997.
TheActsaysthecommissioner,deputycommissionerorassistant
commissionerappointedtocarryoutfunctionsshouldbeaHindu.PCJaffer,
theDC,hasreservedordersonevictionandreferredtheissuetothe
government.Thisis,perhaps,forthefirsttime,theprovisionhascomeinto
question,promptingtheDCtoseekaclarificationfromthegovernment.
CommissionerforReligiousandCharitableEndowmentsKRamannaNaik
saystoworkaroundthispeculiarsituation,hehadidentifiedapersonother
thantheDCtocarryouttheorder.Theresnothingwrongintheprovision.
CananonChristiancarryoutthechurchactivities?heasks.
Someofficialswonderwhethersuchaprovisiondefeatstheideaof
secularism.Afterall,itsanadministrativefunction,theysay.TheActwas
passedbytheKarnatakalegislaturein1997andgotthePresidentsassentin
May2003.TheprovisionunderSection7oftheActappointingDCsand
othersubordinations,professingHindureligionwasnotifiedonDecember
6,2008.
Administrationoftemplescanberegulatedbylawwhichissecular,but
civilservantsdischargingadministrativeworkofasecularnaturecannotbe
discriminatedastheirsalariesarepaidfromtheconsolidatedfundofthe
state,saysRavivarmaKumar,firstchairmanoftheKarnatakacommission
forbackwardclasses.
ISTHISSECULAR?
SecularismisthebasicpreceptoftheConstitution.Itcanneverbemandated
thatadeputycommissioneroranyofficialshouldbeofaparticularreligion
tocarryoutadministrativeduties.TheSupremeCourthasdevoted100pages
onthecountryssecularethosintheBommaicasepertainingtosecularism...
BrijeshKalappa|SENIORADVOCATE,SUPREMECOURT
TEMPLEISSUERulebooksaysofficermustbeaHindu
Bangalore:TheratherunusualsituationfacedbytheMandyadeputy
commissionerinnotevictingpeoplefromtheLakshmiJanardhanatemple
evenafterexpiryoflease,hasthrownupquestionsabouttheideaof
secularsiminadministrationitself.
Hereswhattheactsays:
Thestategovernmentmay,bynotification,appointanofficerofthecadre
oftheIAStobetheCommissionerforHinduReligiousInstitutionsand
CharitableEndowmentsforthestateofKarnataka.
Thestategovernmentmayappointanofficernotbelowtherankofa
GroupAseniorscaletobedeputycommissionerforHinduReligious
InstitutionsandCharitableEndowmentsforoneormoredistricts.Thedeputy
commissionershallsubjecttotheauthorityoftheCommissionerhavepowers
ofgeneralsuperintendenceandcontrolforthepurposeofcarryingoutthe
provisionsofthisActinrespectofallHinduReligiousInstitutionsand
CharitableEndowmentsinhisjurisdiction.
TheCommissionerandeverydeputycommissionerorassistant
commissionerandeveryotherofficerorservant,appointedtocarryoutthe
purposesofthisActbywhomsoeverappointed,shallbeapersonprofessing
HinduReligionandshallceasetoholdtheofficeassuchwhenheceasesto
professthatreligion.
naheed.ataullah@timesgroup.com

TheevictionhastobedoneintheLakshmiJanardhantemplepremises

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