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21st Century India: Public Officials Call For Religious Prayers for Rains, Ignoring Contitutional Advice To Promote Scientific temper

6 June 2019

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[People in high public office, state officials and even top courts seem to be ignoring Article 51A of India’s constitution which implores citizens to "develop scientific temper ..." see reports from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in June 2019]

[1]

Karnataka Govt Asks Temples to Pray For Rain, Rationalists Protest by Arun Dev (6 June 2019)

Karnataka was among the first states in the country to propose an anti-superstition bill, but on 6 June, despite the protests from rationalists, the JD(S)-Congress government ordered hundreds of temples to preform poojas (prayer rituals) for a better monsoon.

The state is suffering from severe drought, with 156 of the 176 Taluks declared as such. Such is the severity in the state that more than 2,999 villages across the state are provided drinking water through private tankers.

Rationalists are opposed to the fact that hundreds of temples have been asked to spend up to Rs 10,000 to conduct prayers with the total cost running into lakhs of rupees, a sum they believe could be given directly to the drought-affected population. [ . . . ]

Full text at: https://www.thequint.com/news/india/karnataka-govt-asks-temples-to-pray-for-rain-rationalists-protest

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[2]

Court Cannot Destroy Faith & Beliefs Of People: Madras HC Rejects Plea Against Performance Of ’Yajnas For Rains’ [Read Order] by Ashok Kini (2 Jun 2019)

This Court cannot destroy such beliefs or hopes of the multitude of people, remarked the Madras High Court while dismissing a petition challenging the circular issued by the Commissioner of Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, Department to perform "yagnas" propagating rain, in all important temples under its control.

Full Text at: https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/madras-hc-rejects-plea-against-hrce-circular-yajnas-for-rains-145416