DON'T COMMERCIALIZE GOD !

- BOMBAY HIGH COURT TELLS SAI MANDAL`MUMBAI 19th Nov`2011

Seeking demolition of the Illegal Extension made to the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in their society compound at Prabhadevi`Mumbai, the housing society members filed a petition in the Bombay High Court (HC), claiming that the Temple, run by Mumbai's 'Om Sai Mitra Mandal' was originally constructed in 1989 as a small tin shed but was now being rebuilt & extended as a concrete structure, as a result of which, the access to their Building and parking of their Vehicles was being blocked. So, on 18th Nov`2011, while hearing the petition, Bombay High Courts division bench of Justices P.B Majmudar and R.M Savant, in a stern warning, to the People & Housing Societies who break the Law in the name of God, said "Make God happy without doing anything Illegal. Any Unauthorized Religious Structure should not be permitted or allowed to be constructed, even inside Housing Societies in the city of Mumbai." Earlier, the High Court had also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to demolish this Illegally extended Sai Baba Temple after getting a report from a structural engineer to see if the extended portion of the platform could be removed without damaging the Idol of Sai Baba. Reprimanding 'Om Sai Mitra Mandal' the HC restrained it from Commercializing God & collecting Donations in their Names. "Don't extend it. You also acted illegally. If you want to please God, don't take the law in your hands. God will not be happy if people fight for construction of a Temple. Make God happy without illegal actions,'' said Justice Majmudar. The High Court also pulled up the 'Om Sai Mitra Mandal' for exploiting Religion to make Profits. But Om Sai Mitra Mandal's Advocate said that devotees used to

voluntarily contribute for the annual function when they held a bhandara (food distributed among devotees for free). But restraining the Mandal to hold any more Bhandara's in the future, the High Court asked the Mandal to put up a Board refusing Donations & Justice Majmudar remarked, If you want to feed people, do it out of your own pocket. The Bombay High Court also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to publish advertisements in newspapers warning people & housing societies against constructing such illegal religious structures.

This advice of the Bombay High Courts to the citizens to please God without taking the law into their hands, applies as much to all the Trusts/Bodies in the other cities of India as well. The problem of Illegal Shrines is endemic in many parts of India, where they exist on public space or within some cooperative housing society premises as well. No one can deny a citizens right to religion and to worship, but that right cannot be allowed to trample upon the rights of other citizens to open spaces, to sidewalks, to peace of mind, to simply not be inconvenienced. As former Chief Justice of India J.S Verma had said: "Be you ever so high, the Law is above you. This principle, like it or not, must apply to the houses of our Gods as well. Without that, we cannot claim to be a civilised society governed by the rule of Law.

"StOp explOiting ReligiOn to make prOfits ! dOnt cOmmercialize gOd ! dOnt cOllect dOnatiOns in their Names ! If yOu really have the lOve fOr GOd, pray tO HIM...HE can give yOu mOre !!"
....... Bombay High Court (18th Nov`2011)

"make mOney yOur gOd and it will plague yOu like the Devil."
....Henry Fielding

rOhit

beHaL