**Buddhist monks protest against 75-year-old law that administers sacred site of Bodh Gaya**,Pg4

• The Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya, Bihar, is the site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002.
• The Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC), under the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949, administers it, consisting of 4 Buddhists and 4 Hindus, with the District Magistrate (Hindu) as ex-officio chair.

2. Nature of the Protest

• Around 300 monks have been protesting since February 12, 2024.
• Their demand: full Buddhist control of the temple and repeal of the BT Act.
• AIBF alleges the current law is outdated and discriminatory.

3. Core Contentions

• BTMC allegedly lacks adequate Buddhist representation, with monks claiming Hindu control over a Buddhist site.
• The Act mandates a Hindu chairman, violating Buddhist religious autonomy.
• Buddhist monks filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2012 to repeal the Act.

4. Historical and Political Roots

• The Act was passed in 1949, soon after Independence.
• In the 1960s, a Muslim IAS officer was appointed as BTMC chairman, leading to controversy.
• In 2015, the AIBF organized protests in West Bengal.
• The issue has come up in Parliament debates (e.g., Waqf Amendment Bill 2025) concerning religious management rights.

5. Temple Governance Challenges

• BTMC accused of lack of financial transparency; fined ₹880 lakh in 2023 for FCRA violations.
• Foreign donations are under scrutiny due to FCRA 2010 regulations.
• Internal rifts among Buddhists have made unified demands harder.

Significance

• Raises key questions on religious rights, secularism, and minority autonomy.
• Echoes broader debates around state interference in religious institutions (e.g., Sabarimala, Waqf boards, Church autonomy).
• Highlights the intersection of religion, identity, and governance in modern India.

Analysis & Way Forward

• A re-examination of colonial and post-independence temple laws is needed to align with constitutional guarantees of religious freedom (Art. 25-28).
• Need for a more inclusive and sensitive governance structure at sacred sites of multiple faiths.
• Encourage dialogue between stakeholders: Buddhist monks, civil society, state, and central authorities.
• Legal clarity from SC on the constitutionality of religious representation in sacred site management.

Mains Mock Question:

**Q.** _"Critically examine the implications of state-administered religious sites in a secular democracy, with reference to the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949."_