TIRUMALA: A video showing Christian evangelists led by a pastor, Sudhir Mondithoka, trying to win over converts right outside the Tirumala temple has sparked outrage among devotees worldwide. Any form of religious propaganda, except related to Hinduism, is banned around the temple.
In 2007, the then Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government had notified in an order that the seven hills of Tirumala would remain a place of worship only for Hindus and prohibited propagation of other faiths. The order also declared the seven hills surrounding the temple as a place of worship and thus banned all political activities, including conduct of local body polls. The order asserted that no other religion shall be propagated in Tirumala area through words—spoken or written—or by signs or visible representation or by distributing any printed material or other forms of religious literature.
Apart from this, rule 196 of Tirumala Tirupati Devastanams (TTD) Act states that no other religious propaganda is allowed within 10.33 sq miles area of the Tirumala Shrine. As per rule 197 of the Act, those who reside in Tirumala and those who work for TTD must be Hindus.
Despite strict measures being taken by successive governments, Tirumala continues to remain a prime target for Christian missionaries. On November 13, TTD security and vigilance sleuths arrested one Siva Reddy of Kadapa district for carrying Christian literature along with him while going to Tirumala hill shrine. He used to work as a mason in Tirumala. When vigilance sleuths interrogated him, it was found that he was not a Christian evangelist. He was handed over to police for further action.
When asked about growing evangelical activities atop Tirumala, TTD EO MG Gopal said, “When there are laws which states that propagation of any other religion in and around Tirumala is illegal, it is unfortunate that some evangelical groups are stooping to such mean tactics and creating unnecessary chaos, hurting the sentiments of millions of pilgrims. We are now contemplating stricter laws to curb evangelical activities in Tirumala.”
TTD officials are now taking steps to make employees of the Devasthanam dedicate their services to protect the sanctity of the holy shrine. For instance, around 4,000 employees of the TTD on November 1, 2014, undertook an oath to protect the sanctity of the temple. While administering the oath, TTD Joint executive officer K S Srinivasa Raju told the employees, “Our salaries come from pilgrims’ offerings, so it becomes the foremost responsibility and duty of every TTD employee to protect the sanctity of the temple”.
Meanwhile, the AP government has decided to prohibit any sort of religious campaigning at places of worship of other religions across the state. AP IT Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy said, “The Cabinet during its recent meeting took strong exception to the way some people are trying to propagate their religious ideologies in places.”
Hotbed of Controversy
Though the erstwhile Y S Rajasekhara Reddy government issued an order on June 2, 2007, notifying that the seven hills of Tirumala would remain a place of worship only for Hindus and prohibited propagation of other religions, many political parties in Andhra Pradesh blame the late YSR, who had practiced Christianity, for the growing evangelical activities atop Tirumala.
"It is a known fact that after becoming Chief Minister, YSR had openly encouraged Christian missionaries to spread their activities across the state apart from Tirumala," says BJP Telangana senior leader Nallu Indrasena Reddy.
According to him, after YSR became CM in 2004, various Christian missionaries went to Tirumala to conduct weekly, monthly and annual carols in the houses of some of the converted employees.
According to the Vigilance and Security wing records, five such families are still living in the TTD Quarters and Balaji Nagar. "We have authentic information that five families of fourth class employees are practicing Christianity," said Siva Kumar Reddy, Additional CV&SO of TTD.
Not only YSR but his son and YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy created a controversy by entering the holy shrine without signing the form of declaration about his belief on Lord Venkateswara in 2012. On May 1, 2012, Jagan Reddy visited Tirumala along with his followers. He was approached by the temple authorities for a signature on the form of declaration about his belief in the Lord which is mandatory for non-Hindus. But, Jagan rejected to sign the form and argued