'Obnoxious' practice of VVIP, preferential treatment in temples to privileged people

By NS Venkataraman*
In the earlier days, there was restriction for entry in the place of worship for people based on caste and creed. This practice prevailed in several religions. Though such practice has now been largely given up due to proactive campaign, the practice is still prevalent in some places. Hopefully, this practice would go away completely soon.
While the above practice is under debate for several years now, the most obnoxious practice seen today is the practice of providing preferential entry in the place of worship for those who pay entry fee, as against those who do not pay or who cannot afford to pay entry fee and opt for free darshan.
Such people not paying entry fee often wait in the queue for long time (sometime several hours), even as they see the people paying fee getting quick entry and the so called VIPs , who could be ministers or celebrities such as sports persons, cinema actors or rich business persons or top officials of the government , straightaway being taken for darshan without waiting.
It is even more obnoxious to see the condition, where the darshan for devotees are completely stopped when a person like President, Governor or ministers visit the place of worship.
Unfortunately ,there is no discussion or protest about such undesirable practice of giving preferential entry in the place of worship for some people and denying it to others.

How can devotees be treated differently?

The question here is as to how any difference can be observed between the people, even in the place of worship.
Obviously, it is the belief that God would not distinguish between the devotees based on money power or the position held in the society. In other words, in the place of worship, all people should be treated equally and this is the basic dictum in all religions from time immemorial.
It is famously said that death is a great equalizer. Should not the devotees getting preferential entry , be conscious about this fact that death event make no difference between the rich and the poor people? What is applicable to the death event should be equally applicable to the life event also, particularly in the place of worship.

Who is responsible?

There are two players responsible for such obnoxious practice of having preferential entry to some so called “privileged people” and denying it to others.
One is the administrators of the place of worship who seem to view the administration of the place of worship largely as commercial activity and think that collecting entry fee is nothing wrong. These administrators are guilty of introducing undesirable “VIP culture" in place of worship for whatever reasons.
The other guilty people are those who pay entry fee to get quick entry and the so called VIPs who get free and ready entry , unmindful of the feelings of frustration of those who cannot afford to pay or who do not want to pay as a matter of principle. These people fail to realise that those who do not pay entry fee and forced to wait in the queue for long time are as genuine devotees, as those who gain entry at the cost of others by using their money power or position in the society.
The entry fee paying devotees to get quick entry and the so called VIPs getting free and ready entry are self centred people , who try to get advantage for themselves over others. They are also responsible for creating sort of “class difference” in the place of worship , which is absolutely unacceptable.

What would saints say?

Several mythological stories reveal as to how God bless poor and sincere devotees, more than those who visit place of worship using money power and sometimes with pomp and show .
Mahatma Gandhi said, “I hate privilege and monopoly. Whatever cannot be shared with the masses is taboo to me.” ('Harijan', 2nd November 1934)
Certainly, great Indian saints like Kanchi Paramacharya and Bhgawan Sri Ramana Maharshi would have disapproved the money power playing a role in providing entry to the place of worship.
What is urgently required is that all genuine devotees, whatever may be their wealth or position in the society , should decide that they would not seek any special privilege for them in getting quick or ready entry.
If some Governors or ministers cannot wait in the queue with other devotees due to security or other reasons, let them not visit the place of worship or let them visit after shedding their so called special status.
---
*Trustee, Nandini Voice For The Deprived, Chennai

Comments

King Corona and his descendents: How long will the Dynasty last?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* “Corona ” is in the media once again, precipitating a déjà-vu feeling and some amount of panic among the people. Among viruses and microorganisms King Corona and its descendents enjoy Royalty Status. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." This classic quote from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is well known. But does it hold well in current times? The events during the past five years challenge the Bard's view.

India’s 2021 excess deaths: was it the virus — or the containment frenzy?

By Bhaskaran Raman* Tyagu (name changed), a vegetable vendor recalls of his brother’s death in 2021. The victim had a normal fever, but was forcibly taken away to the hospital saying that it was Covid. He had been coerced into taking the Covid-19 “vaccines” by that time. After 10 days in hospital, he died. There was no proper information during his hospital stay, and no one was allowed to visit, saying that visitors could also get Covid.

Old bias, new excuses: How western media misrepresents India’s anti-terror strikes

By Gajanan Khergamker The recent Indian military strikes on Pakistan, dubbed Operation Sindoor, have sparked a storm of international media coverage. Several prominent outlets have portrayed India as the aggressor in the escalating conflict, raising concerns over biased reporting. This commentary critiques coverage by foreign media outlets such as The New York Times , Reuters, BBC, and CNN, which have often been accused of framing India’s actions as escalatory while downplaying or omitting critical context regarding Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism. By examining historical patterns and current geopolitical dynamics, this analysis highlights the recurring selective framing, omission of evidence, and a tendency to favor narratives aligned with Western geopolitical interests over factual nuance.

जैविक जीवित संसाधनों व प्रकृति पर निर्भर मजदूरों की व्यापक आर्थिक सुरक्षा कैसे हो?

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* भारत में 60 करोड़ से अधिक लोग भूमि, जल, जंगल और समुद्र जैसे प्राकृतिक स्रोतों पर निर्भर हैं । देश में 14.6 करोड़ छोटे और सीमांत किसान, 14.4 करोड़ खेतिहर मजदूर ( बड़ी संख्या में दलित हैं), 27.5 करोड़ वन निवासी, 2.8 करोड़ मछुआरे, 1.3 करोड़ पशुपालक और 1.7 करोड़ कारीगर हैं जो सीधे तौर पर प्रकृति के साथ और प्रकृति के भरोसे काम कर रहे हैं । लगभग 6 करोड़ मौसमी मजदूर हैं जो काम के सिलसिले में लगातार अपने गांव से बाहर जाते हैं और लौटते हैं। प्रकृति निर्भर समुदायों की आर्थिक गतिविधियां जो बड़े पैमाने पर जीवन निर्वाह और छोटी आय के लिए है। वर्तमान आर्थिक नीतियों के कारण, जो कॉर्पोरेट्स और बड़े व्यवसायों का समर्थन करती है, प्रकृति निर्भर समुदाय के लिए अव्यवहारिक होती जा रही है।

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए।

Crying air, water, and earth: A call to conserve our dying natural resources

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur* Air, water, and earth—these natural resources are essential for the survival of all living beings, including humans, animals, and plants. Life in any form is impossible without them. These are precious gifts of nature to humankind. However, in the pursuit of economic growth, modern humans have severely polluted these valuable resources in an attempt to satisfy their greed.

The WHO Pandemic Agreement: Why India should reconsider its stance

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* For more than the past three years, the WHO has been trying its best to push the Pandemic Treaty and amendments to the International Health Regulations in unholy haste, instead of conducting a proper appraisal of the impact of the measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic—a routine exercise after any pandemic to guide future strategies. This raises questions about whether the WHO, under China’s influence, is trying to conceal its acts of omission and commission during the pandemic, including obstructing investigations into the origins of SARS-CoV-2. The WHO recently faced a setback when the USA decided to cut all ties with the organization.

Environmental report raises alarm: Sabarmati one of four rivers with nonylphenol contamination

By Rajiv Shah A new report by Toxics Link , an Indian environmental research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi, in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund , a global non-profit headquartered in New York, has raised the alarm that Sabarmati is one of five rivers across India found to contain unacceptable levels of nonylphenol (NP), a chemical linked to "exposure to carcinogenic outcomes, including prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women."

21-day security operation targets Maoist presence, prompts questions on civil impact

By Harsh Thakor* Union Home Minister Amit Shah has described a recent counter-insurgency operation along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border as a significant achievement for Indian security forces in their efforts against Maoist groups. The three-week-long operation in the Karreguttalu Hills reportedly resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals identified as members of Maoist formations.

Search This Blog