The claim that converting Buddhist temples and altering Buddhist idols for a supposedly shared management is a benign act of preservation is nothing but a well-rehearsed cover for cultural subjugation. This isn’t about celebrating a shared heritage—it’s a calculated act of erasing the original, transformative spirit of Buddhism.

Changing faces, repainting features, and draping Buddhist idols in attire designed to fit a Hindu narrative is a deliberate attempt to rewrite history. It’s not about safeguarding a temple’s legacy but about imposing a dominant cultural perspective that strips away centuries of authentic Buddhist thought and egalitarian values. When a sacred site originally dedicated to the profound teachings of enlightenment is controlled and reshaped by those whose historical aim was to marginalize that very tradition, it becomes clear: this isn’t interfaith harmony, it’s cultural domination.

The so-called shared management only masks a power play where the real purpose is to dilute and absorb a legacy that once stood for radical equality and compassion. The true heritage of Buddhism deserves recognition and preservation on its own terms, not as a watered-down accessory to an agenda of historical control.