Sri Venkateswara Hindu Temple, Novi Michigan Complaint

Recall visiting Sri Venkateswara Hindu Temple in Novi, Michigan many years back. It was no different than any other Sri Venkateswara Temple. I was a bit surprised to see a complaint dated April 1, 2024! calling for Removing Board Members, End Discrimination and Restore Sanctity of this Hindu temple. 

1. Complainant notes that folks are deeply troubled. Why? How deep are you troubled? What are the symptoms of this trouble? Does the trouble call for a psychiatrist or psychologist? If you don't like this Sri Venkateswara Hindu Temple in Novi, Michigan; go to some other Hindu temple in Detroit area...or pray at home? 

There are too many temples in Detroit Michigan that under-serve Hindus anyway. One can argue that Hindu temples do a disservice to Hindus, they make Hindus weaker, always have. Hindu temples are passive entities when they should be proactively run on the principles of Shri Krishna. Did Shri Krishna do poojas to address the problems between Kaurav and Pandav; hell no, he went to a war with strategy and tactics. Dharma can only be maintained through sustained competition. Timid temple boards don't want to take risks, don't want to do more good even if they can, just do the bare minimum poojas and play it safe. Maintain the status quo. There isn't enough Lakshmi in it ....lol. If temples became active, it would help Sanatana Dharma, Hindus and  Bharat aka India exponentially. 

Life has changed, Hindu temples must change too or risk going extinct or becoming obsolete in the future. Perhaps Indian governments and politicians want to keep things under their control through legislation. 

Sri Venkateswara Hindu Temple
Novi, Michigan

2. Complainant notes that board members of Sri Venkateswara Temple displayed arrogance and demanded preferential treatment for themselves. So what? It happens all the time, people are pricks. This is how temple power works. Power corrupts humans and they do adharmic shit or worse often. They are what they are.

3. Complainant notes that board members exhibited discriminatory behavior towards specific volunteers without justification. Again, this happens all the time in every organization. Discrimination is intrinsic to Asian Indians specially with other Asian Indians; they might be nicer to other non-Indians. In the US, they would brown nose whites just like we did in pre-independence India. Just move on...go to a different temple or pray at home or just just don't pray...it won't matter. These things are not worth it in a short life.

4. Complainant notes that they have falsely accused volunteers without evidence and introduced caste politics and favored individuals.  Again this shit happens all the time. Casteism, stateism, townism, villageism, languageism, skin colorism, foodism and finally pubic-hairism; you name it and you will find it among Asian Indians and this shit is never going to leave Asian Indians. It is ingrained in us because of our passive ideology. This is how we are...this is how Indian organizations including temples are....just move on, these organizations are not worth it. There are too many wonderful things to do in our great country; parts of it are like a swarg/paradise, go see them. 

5. Board members used misused temple funds and purchased alcohol.....so what, why don't you try Stella Artois or Bud Light, it is a pretty good beer, its a short cut to nirvana and Lord Venkateswara. Knock, knock....doobies are legal in Novi, Michigan, right?

6. Complainant notes mistreatment of temple priests. I doubt that there is any Hindu temple where this does not happen. Hindu priests are employees of the temple and they will get mistreated just like any other employee gets treated in society that worships Lord Shri Dollar. This is what corporations are, temples of Lord Shri Dollar. 

7. Now, Pew Research Center, I wouldn't believe anything that comes from it.

In conclusion, Pankaj Mian, this complaint at https://www.change.org/p/remove-board-members-end-discrimination-and-restore-sanctity is a dud. Bhai, understand religions first; then understand Hinduism, then understand Hindu temples as non-profit/profit organizations and their board, committees and their management....no? Its about status and power. But Pankaj notes that all temple board members are not stale, so work with these people...that's as good as its going to get. 

Hindu temple positions are volunteer positions but they get compensated in just an indirect way, it depends on the temple and the location. In worse situations, there are cases where personal properties/donations of naive devout devotees have been grabbed and used for personal purposes, this shit happens and won't stop through a change dot org petition. Not paying proper wages to temple workers was in the news in New Jersey.