Buddhists go on hunger strike in Bodhgaya demanding withdrawal of Bodhgaya Temple Act
text_fields
Photo courtesy of The Wire
Bodhgaya : Buddhists are holding an indefinite hunger strike in Bihar’s Bodhgaya, where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment, seeking to ‘repeal the Bodhgaya Temple Act 1949’ in order to protect the sanctity of Buddhism, The Wire reported.
Started on February12, both monks and nuns led by the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF) are sitting outside the Mahabodhi Mahavihara gate carrying out a silent protests for their rights.
When the police detained 25 monks in a midnight operation, sparking protest from around the world, the protesters moved to two kilometres away from Mahabodhi Mahavihara.
Akash Lama, general secretary of AIBF, said, ‘We had to spend our 17th-day protest in the medical college,’ with AIBF President Jambu Lama adding that ‘We are actually peace-loving people, but now we are forced to come out in the streets and hold this dharna!’
Meanwhile, it is reported that there have been frequent attacks allegedly by Brahmins or upper castes targeting to destroy the Bodhi tree located inside the Mahabodhi Mahavira complex, outside of it the monks and nuns are protesting.
The current Bodhi tree inside the Mahabodhi complex is a fourth generation tree.
The Mahabodhi Mukti Andolan, currently underway, is aimed at protecting the sanctity of Buddhism and ensure only Buddhists to control Mahabodhi Mahavihara.
However, the Bodhgaya Temple Act of 1949 allows non-Buddhist control over it with Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC), formed following the Act, included both Hindu and Buddhist members.
It is reported that majority of the members belong to upper-caste Brahmin with only four Buddhists in the nine member committee.
The chairman, who is the district magistrate of Gaya, is also from a Hindu background.
Jambu Lama was quoted as saying: ‘Earlier, there was even a clause that said that the DM should always be Hindu, but later in 2012, that clause got removed. Even then, the majority members of the committee in BTMC are non-Buddhist and the remaining four Buddhists are powerless, just for show.’
The AIBF complains that the committee is ‘under Brahmanical influence’, and points to enforced non-Buddhists practices and rituals in the Mahavira premises alongside placing Shiva Lingam symbols, Hindu rites with chants and worshiping Buddha like a Hindu deity.