In July this year, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) chairman YV Subba Reddy had announced the abolition of the List 1, List 2 and List 3 VIP darshans which gave privileged access for darshan, or viewing the deity, at the Tirumala temple. The decision was lauded for putting a stop to discrimination among devotees, as people who could get recommendation letters from sitting MPs, MLAs, high cadre officials and TTD employees had the advantage of breaking the line, while others had to stand in queue for several hours. Four months later, TTD has now announced that “VIP Darshans” are back – except this time, it’s linked to money.
The privileges of VIP Break Darshan will be extended to people who donate to the ‘Srivani Trust’ (Sri Venkateswara Aalayala Nirmanam). According to the details of the scheme announced by TTD Additional Executive Officer (AEO) AV Dharma Reddy on Monday, for each donation of Rs 10,000, one VIP ticket will be allotted, with a ceiling of nine tickets. People who donate more than Rs 1 lakh will enjoy existing privileges accorded to those who donate a similar amount to other TTD trusts.
According to a TTD release, the Srivani Trust was started by the TTD only recently, in the middle of 2019. AEO Dharma Reddy reportedly told media that the Srivani Trust was launched with “a unique concept of construction of Sri Venkateswara Swamy temples … particularly in SC, ST and BC areas to avoid religious conversions and preserve, promote and propagate Hindu Sanatana Dharma.”
How is this system better, ask activists
On abolishing the List darshan system, Subba Reddy had told the media, “We do not wish to hurt the feelings of senior dignitaries but we wish to help the regular devotees who stand in long queues for darshan. In front of the deity, everyone is an equal devotee.” But activists who have been demanding transparency and accountability from TTD say that the new move will continue to give access to the privileged, and that the long, tiring queues and inconveniences faced by the remaining devotees will remain unchanged.
BKSR Ayyangar, an activist who has been fighting to bring the TTD under the purview of the RTI Act, says that giving some VIP privileges based on a donation is meaningless. “How does paying Rs 10,000 make someone a VIP? When the List system was in place, people would gain advantage through their connections and clout, now they can do the same thing with money,” Ayyangar says.
While certain ministers, dignitaries and high cadre officials are still given privileged access for darshan, linking the VIP ticket to donations will lead to a rise in the number of privileged darshans, says Ayyangar. “Even if around 100-200 people buy the donation linked ticket in a day, the remaining devotees will have to wait for eight or nine hours for their turn. TTD should be working on alternative methods of streamlining the queue,” he says.
“They are implying that they only want well-to-do people to visit the temple, they don’t seem to care about the others,” says Gopal Reddy, another activist who has been demanding accountability from the TTD.
‘Random’ schemes
Naveen Kumar Reddy, convenor of Rayalaseema Porata Samithi, says that although seemingly major decisions are made by TTD officials or the state government occasionally, not much changes for devotees. “Such measures end up being associated with a certain government or officials and create some sort of a legacy. It could be something like introducing the three List categories, or removing them, or linking tickets to Srivani trust donations,” he says.
Ayyangar echoes Naveen Kumar’s views. “They introduce random schemes and try to create a legacy around themselves, claiming it was a great initiative. I don’t think there’s any shortage of money within the TTD. They have lakhs of crores of income, but they’re not transparent about how they’re spending it,” says Ayyangar.
Ayyangar had earlier filed an RTI application with the Prime Minister's office in 2017 asking for information on ornaments donated to the temple by 16th-century ruler Sri Krishnadevaraya, which were allegedly 'missing'. “They need to first manage properly the funds and valuables which are in their possession. There are enough trusts in the TTD already. What is the need for one more trust and to seek more money from devotees?,” he questions. “They’re commercialising people’s devotion. Devotees are not customers of a business,” he adds.
A PIL filed in March in the Andhra Pradesh High Court calling for the abolition of the practice of VIP Break Darshan was later dismissed.