Home Office must listen to the needs of the Hindu faith - Teather

1.43.25pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 25th Jul 2005

Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has tabled a new Commons Motion calling on the Home Office to recognize the needs of Hindu Temples in employing Poorjari's. Following the Brent East MPs Commons Motion last year the Home Office agreed to reopen consultations on its Visa rules for Minister's of Religion.

The Home Office introduced new rules on 31st August 2004 requiring Ministers of Religion to provide a valid IELTS certificate to demonstrate competence in spoken English to level 4 to be eligible for entry clearance.

The new requirement has adversely affected the running of many Hindu Temples across the UK. A Poojari does not preach in the temple but is required to attend the Gods in accordance with the central tenants of the Hindu religion. The rites which a Poojari has to fulfil require knowledge of the Hindu texts in Sanskrit, and a knowledge of Gujurati and Hindi for sung worship. A Poorjari does not need to speak English to a level four standard to perform the crucial aspects of his role. Poojari's must be trained in India, particularly to gain knowledge of Sanskrit. The new regulations have caused particular problems for the Shree Swaminarayan Temple on Willesden Lane.

Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East and Shadow Secretary for Communities and Local Government, Sarah Teather MP said:

"The major concern seems to be that the original rules were drafted entirely from a Judeo-Christian perspective. Whilst I welcome the consultation that the Home Office conducted it must now prove that it has listened to the UK's Hindu community. There are severe risks that if the regulations stay the same it will eventually make it impossible for Hindu Temples to recruit appropriately qualified personnel."

Sarah Teather MPs Early Day Motion 661 reads:

"That this House notes with concern the implications for Hindu temples of the new Home Office immigration rules affecting ministers of religion, effective from 31st August 2004, which require all such ministers to demonstrate fluency in the English language to level 4; further notes that this hampers the recruitment of Poojaries in particular, whose roles are highly specialised and who are trained in India; further notes that the role of a Poojari does not involve preaching to the congregation and that this role is generally performed by Swarmis, Sadhus or Hindu preachers, who have knowledge of English; further notes that the Poojari's job requires knowledge of Hindu texts written in Sanskrit and knowledge of Gujarati and Hindi for sung worship, but not English; welcomes the Home Office's decision to re-open consultation on the effect of these rules on Poojaries; recognises the important role played by community organisations such as the Hindu Forum of Britain and the Hindu Council UK in persuading the Home Office to look again at these rules; further notes that the consultation closed on 31st May; and calls on the Home Office to recognise the difficulties that the rules have caused Hindus and for account of these to be taken by ensuring that the Government responds to the consultation as quickly as possible."