Buddhists on hunger strike to demand temple management in Bihar
Thousands in Ladakh have joined the hunger strike in Bodh Gaya for full control of the Mahabodhi temple, the place where according to tradition the Buddha received enlightenment. At the heart of the protest is the management committee, which is dominated by Hindu members. Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena calls on the Indian government to recognise the right of Buddhists to independently run their holiest site. Meanwhile, support for the protest grows in India and abroad.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Thousands of Buddhists in Ladakh, a Union territory in north-western India, yesterday joined fellow monks who are on a hunger strike at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, in the north-eastern Indian state of Bihar.
Since 12 February, hundreds of Buddhist monastics have been fasting demanding changes to the shrine's current management system, which in their view marginalises the Buddhist community.
The Mahabodhi Temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in the third century BC and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to tradition, it is the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
However, its administration is regulated by a 1949 law that mandates a nine-member Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC), which includes five Hindus, including a district magistrate who chairs the body, and four Buddhists.
Protesters want this changed so that the site is entrusted entirely to the Buddhist community, without state interference in religious affairs.
“The ongoing debates surrounding the Mahabodhi Temple Management Act, 1949, underscore a deeper issue of religious representation and governance,” said Bhikkhu Sanghasena, a monk and spiritual director of the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre.
Although the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya has "immense significance for Buddhists globally. However, its governance structure—originally mandating a Hindu majority and later amended to equal Hindu-Buddhist representation—has long been a point of contention,” Bhikkhu Sanghasena explained.
“The continued presence of Hindu authorities in its administration is often justified by historical circumstances, particularly the role played by local Hindu caretakers in preserving the temple when Buddhist influence in India had waned,” the monk added. But this dates back to the 19th century and no longer have any validity today.
“Precedents from other religious institutions in India—such as the Ram Mandir for Hindus and Jama Masjid for Muslims—clearly show that places of worship are typically governed by their respective religious communities.
“Given this, the demand for exclusive Buddhist control over the Mahabodhi Temple is both reasonable and justified. Recent protests, hunger strikes, and petitions by Buddhist organizations at nationwide highlight the growing urgency of addressing this issue.
“India, as the Birthplace of Buddhism, has a unique responsibility to preserve and honour its Buddhist heritage,” said Bhikkhu Sanghasena, who, after serving in the Indian army, dedicated himself to various humanitarian works in Ladakh, for which he was nominated, in 2017, a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has actively leveraged Buddhism as a key aspect of India’s diplomatic outreach,” the monk noted. “Granting full Buddhist administration of the Mahabodhi Temple [. . .] would be a significant step toward fairness in religious governance, strengthening India’s cultural and diplomatic ties with Buddhist-majority nations” and “reinforce India’s credibility as a protector of Buddhist heritage.”
Ultimately, “A viable solution could be the repeal or amendment of the Act to grant full administrative control to Buddhists while ensuring that the historical Hindu presence in Bodh Gaya is acknowledged with due respect.”
Yet, despite the mounting pressure, the Indian government has not issued any official statements on the matter.
For their part, protesters accuse the Bihar government of using intimidating methods to disperse peaceful demonstrations, and blamed the temple authorities for mishandling donations and mistreating pilgrims.
The hunger strike has garnered support nationally and internationally, with more than 500 organisations joining, including the All India Buddhist Forum and the Ladakh Buddhist Association.
Buddhist communities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada and Mongolia have expressed solidarity with the protest, while groups of supporters from different regions of India are travelling to Bodh Gaya to join the movement.
.png)
14/08/2013
