MIC Youth wing advisor S Vell Paari today suggested that a moratorium is placed on all Hindu temple demolitions until an amicable solution is reached on the status of these temples in the country.

He said that the temporary ban on demolitions should be in place so that an all-party committee can come out with a guideline on temples.

NONE "At present the Hindu temple demolitions have been turned into a political issue by parties in both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. All the political parties are only raising the issue of temple demolitions for political gains without making a concrete effort to solve this problem," he said in a statement today.

"What we need is about a three-to-five year period where a proper guideline which is accepted to all can be drawn out on Hindu temples in the country," he added.

Vell Paari, who is MIC president S Samy Vellu's son, said that for starters an all-party committee should be formed to involve all stakeholders in the decision-making process.

He said that the committee should include representatives from all state governments, from all political parties, both BN and Pakatan, the civil societies, the religious bodies and temple representatives.

"The numbers may be large but we need to have everyone involved. Perhaps we can come out with a mechanism to represent everyone but what is important is to have everyone involved.

"In the committee, the status of the more than 22,000 Hindu temples in the country must be determined. Issues on temple constructions, relocations, renovations and demolitions must be ironed out.

"At the end of the interim period, we must come up with a guideline on the processes to follow if a temple needs to be removed or relocated. A proper political will is very important in undertaking this task," he added.

He said that with the proper guidelines, state governments across the country will have a blueprint to follow when it comes to issues pertaining to Hindu temples.

Worshippers at the losing end

Vell Paari added that the all-party committee should also be able to differentiate between a proper temple and a shrine so that a different level of yardstick can be used in the removal, relocation or renovation of these places of worship.

shah alam temple_altar demolished He was commenting on the recent controversy over the demolition of a temple in Shah Alam, Selangor.

While MIC had rebuked the Pakatan government for the demolition of an alleged Mathurai Veeran temple, the state government had defended its action by stating that the place demolished was not a temple but an illegal altar used by punters to obtain lucky numbers.

"This is precisely why we need to get a blueprint in place. What the state labeled as an altar is also a place for people to seek blessings - be it to obtain lucky numbers or other boons," said Vell Paari.

He said that it was pointless for Pakatan and MIC to be playing the blame game in this matter.

"Let's not turn this into a political game. At the end, it will be the worshippers who will suffer. The temple or altar in Shah Alam is just one such case. There could be more in the coming months, either in Pakatan-controlled states or in BN states.

"When that happens, once again politicians will start the blame game but will that benefit the community and the temples concerned?" he asked.

He said the solution lies in the moratorium for the next three to five years so that a proper audit is done on all Hindu temples whereby a proper guideline can be introduced on matter relating to these temples.

"I urge all parties to consider this proposal seriously and start working on a genuine effort to protect the temples in the country," he said.