Sikkim Buddhist Forum seeks amendment of Bodh Gaya Temple Act, demands Buddhist-only management panel

The Sikkim chapter of the All India Buddhist Forum has demanded amendments to the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, 1949, seeking an all-Buddhist management committee for the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya.

The demand was raised at a meeting of the forum held at a local hotel in Gangtok on September 28. The meeting was led by its General Secretary Akash Lama.

Forum members objected to the presence of non-Buddhists on the temple trust and demanded that the management committee comprise only Buddhists.

Although the matter is currently sub judice, members said they believed greater unity among Buddhist organisations could help advance their demand.

Some participants alleged that the management of the temple involves funds running into crores of rupees and claimed that financial interests were among the reasons for non-Buddhists holding positions on the management body. These were allegations made by participants and were not independently established.

Some speakers also made allegations against an unnamed caste, claiming that it had harmed the interests of Buddhism. The claims were made during the meeting and were not supported by independent evidence.

All India Buddhist Forum General Secretary Anand Lama reiterated that the organisation's principal demand was the repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act and the inclusion of only Buddhists in the management committee.

The forum's demands come amid an ongoing legal and public debate over the administration and composition of the management committee of the Mahabodhi Temple.