A delegation of Buddhist monks from Sikkim, led by Ongdi Pintso Bhutia, state convenor of the All India Buddhist Forum, has joined the ongoing protest in Bodh Gaya, demanding Buddhist control over the administration of the Mahabodhi Vihara.
The protest, organized by the All India Buddhist Forum, seeks to repeal the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Act of 1949, which currently mandates a nine-member committee to oversee the temple’s administration. Protesters argue that only four of these members are Buddhists, while the rest, including the chairman—who is the District Magistrate—may not be from the faith.
Demonstrators, including volunteers from Ladakh, have staged hunger strikes to press for a fully Buddhist-managed committee, aligning with the temple’s religious significance.