Buddhists rally in Gangtok demanding repeal of Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949

The nationwide movement seeking the repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949 (BT Act) gathered fresh momentum on Sunday as hundreds of Buddhists held a rally in Gangtok, demanding full management rights of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara — the site where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.

The protest, led by the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF), argued that the Act, framed in 1949 when Bihar had a small Buddhist population, denies Buddhists rightful control over their holiest shrine. Under the law, the Mahabodhi Temple is managed by an eight-member committee with equal representation of Buddhists and non-Buddhists, but the District Magistrate — always a non-Buddhist — serves as its chairperson.

“This structure is outdated and unconstitutional,” said Aakash Lama, General Secretary of the AIBF. “Bodh Gaya is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the holiest shrine for Buddhists worldwide. Yet Buddhists remain a minority in its management. The 1949 Act must be repealed.”

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Lama noted that the AIBF has been agitating peacefully for three years through hunger strikes, signature campaigns, and legal petitions. “From February 12, we began hunger strikes in Bodh Gaya and across India. On August 10 this year, we launched a nationwide Mashaal Yatra from Nagpur. We have already collected over one lakh signatures, and petitions are pending before the Supreme Court, with the next hearing scheduled for October 30,” he said.

The Gangtok rally carried special significance because of Sikkim’s Buddhist heritage. Sikkim remains the only state in the world with a reserved Legislative Assembly seat for Buddhists, symbolising its constitutional recognition of the community.

“Sikkim has a very large Buddhist population and a constitutional duty to back this demand,” said SD Tshering Lepcha, Advisor of the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC). “Thousands of Sikkimese pilgrims travel to Bodh Gaya every year. It is only right that Buddhists manage their own holiest site.”

The protest in Sikkim is part of a wider campaign unfolding across Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. The demand has also been raised in Parliament by leaders including Ramdas Athawale and Upendra Kushwaha, while the Supreme Court is set to hear the matter on October 30.