An Indian firm in Taipei is embroiled in a court battle with the residents of an apartment building who accuse the company of operating a religious shrine in the building and demand that the shrine be removed, reports said yesterday.
The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper), said the firm bought an apartment on the top floor of a 20-story building on Dunhua S Road to install a Jain temple.
The temple attracts Indian residents of Taipei, who pray at the shrine, disturbing the building’s residents, the paper said.
The building’s visitor registry indicated that on Sunday, 16 people visited the shrine, cable TV channel ETTV said.
“Once a year there is a big celebration, when some 100 Indians visit the shrine to pray,” the channel said.
In January, the management committee of the building asked the firm to move out, saying that religious activities are not allowed inside residential buildings.
When the company refused, the committee filed a lawsuit at Taipei District Court to evict the firm.
The firm said it was not maintaining a shrine in the building, and further argued that some families in the building have Buddhist or Taoist shrines in their homes.
It said it bought the apartment to house company employees on business trips to Taiwan.
“We have been trying to settle this peacefully with the residents, but have not succeeded yet,” said Wang Ho-ping (王和屏), the lawyer for the company.
The law protects religious freedom, but requires that religious organizations register with the Ministry of the Interior.
However, legislation governing the management of apartment buildings stipulates that residents should not disturb the peace or adversely affect safety and hygiene in an apartment building.
Approximately 2,000 Indian expatriates, mostly businesspeople and their families, live in Taiwan.
Jainism is an ancient religion that prescribes non-violence and the development of spirituality through reliance on one’s own wisdom and self-discipline.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
RSS