Mir Farhat
Srinagar, June 17: Thousands of devotees today worshipped at the shrine of Goddess Ragnia Devi to celebrate the annual Kheer Bhawani mela at Tulmulla in Ganderbal district.
Local and migrant Kashmiri Pandits along with tourists offered prayers throughout the day. Around 65 passenger buses carrying Kashmiri Pandits had arrived Kheer Bhawani to participate in the mela.
The devotees prayed for peace and return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley. “We prayed for peace and our return,” said Manoj Koul, 52, a migrant who had come from Jammu to celebrate the festival.
But, a group of young Kashmiri Pandits said that they would return back to Kashmir only if the Government develops infrastructure and create opportunities so that they can carry on their studies and jobs similar to that of other States like Delhi, Bangalore.
However, the devotees rued at the Government’s arrangement. “The Government has failed to provide necessary arrangements to us. There is shortage of drinking water, washrooms and tent facilities. Last night when it rained we had to sleep under open sky as there were no adequate rooms and tents available in the Temple campus. Devotees had no shelter to take during the rain,” said Sudarhan Das.
Meanwhile, several politicians like Union Health and family Welfare minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and CPI (M) State General Secretary MY Tarigami also visited Tulmulla to greet the devotees.
Das said: “The politicians visit to the shrine is symbolic and they try to befool us. If they were serious they could have made special arrangements for us, which they have failed to provide. By their visits they try to score political points over one another.”
Reacting, to the protests by few Kashmiri Pandits during his visit to the shrine, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tonight tweeted that he had an excellent visit to Kheer Bhawani this morning, a small rowdy fringe element notwithstanding.
He wrote on the micro-blogging site Tweeter that he met and interacted with a large number of pilgrims visiting Kheer Bhawani. He said he was fortunate to make an offering as well.
“Biggest satisfaction was seeing large numbers of pilgrims coming in their own cars and taxis where earlier their convoys were given armed escorts,” Omar said, adding: “ordinarily I wouldn’t have posted so many pictures but they speak louder than words”.
Omar had posted picture of Kheer Bhawani Mela on the tweeter.
Earlier, Omar faced a protest by Kashmiri Pandits in his home constituency at Ganderbal when some Kashmiri Pandits, who had come to pay obeisance at the Temple of Ragnia Mata on the occasion of Kheer Bhawani mela, raised slogans against him for his failure to provide basic facilities to them.
The protesting Pandits alleged that at their residences in Jagti township in Jammu they have 16 hours of curtailment in electricity amid the sweltering summer, which is an injustice to them.
The protestors tried to block CM from entering into the Temple but local police and his security guards made way for him into the temple.
Omar was on a visit to greet Kashmiri Pandits who had arrived to participate in the Mela in thousands at Kheer Bhawani temple.
Omar was accompanied by Minister of State for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Ajaz Ahmad Khan and National Conference provincial president and legislator Nasir Aslam Wani.
Meanwhile, sources said, majority of Kashmiri Pandits have taken strong exception to few people of their community raising slogans against the Chief Minister. “There was a feeling within the Pandit community that such a situation should have been avoided especially when it was a religious gathering,’’ they added.
The KPs have decided to identify and isolate the elements, who triggered the protest. They were of the view that handful of the protesters were not well wishers of the community.
Meanwhile, in a statement National Conference’s Minority Cell has condemned the “unruly scene” created by “vested interests” at Kheer Bhawani to “vitiate” the serene atmosphere on the auspicious occasion of Jaishtha Ashtami.
In a joint statement, Anil Dhar (Working President), M. L Munshi, A K Hangloo, Jatin Bhat and others described as unfortunate the incident saying this is no way of highlighting the problems.
“For their political motives, they (protestors) have exploited the sentiments of some devotees ignoring the sanctity of the occasion. By provoking a handful of devotees when the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the revered shrine to meet and felicitate the devotees on the annual festival, the elements behind mischief have the vested interests have not done any good to the community,” the statement said.
In a separate statement, NC MLC Vijay Bakaya has also condemned the incident.
The Chairman of the JKLF Mohammad Yasin Malik also visited Kheer Bhawani temple and a group of Pandits protested against his visit while majority welcomed him.
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