HT Correspondent
MARGHERITA, Nov 17: Under the initiative of the Federation of Barua Buddhist Welfare Association of Assam (FBBWAA) central executive committee, a general meeting was held at Digboi Buddha Vihar under Margherita co-district of Tinsukia district on Sunday regarding the amendment of the Bihar Temple Management Act (BTMC) 1949 at Bodh Gaya, Bihar.
The Federation of Barua Buddhist Welfare Association of Assam (FBBWAA) central executive committee chairman Subash Baruah, secretary general Sibu Talukdar, Digboi Buddha Vihar president Prasenjit Barua, general secretary Biplob Baruah, Tinsukia Buddha Vihar representatives Rajkumar Talukdar and Badal Baruah, Margherita Journalists Association president Ram Prasad Ambedkar, executive members Mithun Baruah and Kisan Lama, Digboi Buddha Vihar head monk Visuddhananda Bhikkhu, Dharma Chakra Buddha Vihar No 1 Golai Digboi president Gautam Baruah, joint secretary Debashish Baruah, and Buddhist devotees from Tinsukia district attended the meeting.
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The meeting was presided over by Subash Baruah, chairman of the Federation of Barua Buddhist Welfare Association of Assam, while the aims and objectives were delivered by Sibu Talukdar, secretary general of FBBWAA.
In his speech, Sibu Talukdar stated that the Bodh Gaya Temple Act, also known as the BTMC Act, 1949, was established to manage and maintain the Buddha Vihar by Buddhist devotees only. However, at present, there are nine members in the management committee, of whom only four belong to the Buddhist community, while the rest are non-Buddhists.
Sibu Talukdar emphasised that the BTMC Act must be repealed by any means, the number of Buddhists on the committee must be increased, and the management of the temple must be entrusted solely to members of the Buddhist community.
In this regard, on November 26, Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas), a peace rally will be organised from Margherita Hill View to the Margherita Co-District Commissioner’s Office. More than 10,000 Buddhist devotees from Tinsukia district, along with participants from the neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh, are expected to join the peace rally, said Sibu Talukdar.
