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An 18 year old Indian American college student has written to the Chief Justice of India N.V.Ramana seeking the expeditious listing and hearing of a writ petition seeking removal of Hindu temples from government control.

The writ petition which was filed in 2012, is titled Sh. Dayananda Saraswati Swamiji vs The State of Tamil Nadu. It contests laws in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry that place management of Hindu temples under the State Government.

The person writing the letter describes himself as an 18 year-old Indian-American college student whose parents are originally from Andhra Pradesh. He claims that though they were born and raised in the United States of America (USA), they maintain a strong connection with India and its heritage and can speak Telugu fluently.

He further writes that one of the elements of India that has enthralled them are "the storied, historical and vibrant temples that the country is home to."

The letter further mentions that they always make it a point to visit temples on their many visits to India as temples are meaningful to them from a religious as well as cultural, historical and architectural standpoint.

The person further writes that since they identify themselves as Hindus, it troubles them to see that these institutions, most of which are in Telugu speaking States, are run and managed by the State Government.

According to the letter, the person, after deeply delving into the issue found out that there is an ongoing effort to remove Hindu temples from government control and the key plank of the effort is the above-mentioned writ petition.

The letter mentions that the petition has been pending before the Supreme Court for the last 9 years and was last listed 2 years ago before a bench of Justices Arun Mishra (now retired), M.R.Shah and B.R.Gavai on September 17, 2019.

The letter mentions that the writ petition is a matter of enormous public interest and that the decision made by the court will affect millions of Hindu devotees across India.

According to the letter the court has previously made observations that strike at the heart of this case and underscore the gravity of grounds made by the petition. The letter also refers to an observation of the former CJI Justice Bobde, who in the case of Puri Jagannath Temple remarked that, "It is a matter of perspective. I don’t know why government officials should manage temples.”

The author while requesting the expeditious listing and disposal of the matter mentions that they hope for a future in which their generations can administer and manage their own religious institutions without government interference.

Cause title: Sh.Dayananda Saraswati Swamiji vs State of Tamil Nadu (WP: 476 of 2012)