Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 7: Pt. Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust (PNBMT) is planning to send a fact finding team to visit the temples of Kashmir. In this regard a five member team is being constituted that would be visiting the different temples of Kashmir and submit a report thereupon.
The Trust which held a meeting today said the mission has become necessary in view of the delay that is taking place in the passage of the all important Temples and Shrines Bill. The purpose of the mission would also be to assess the extent of damage caused to the temples and also to see on ground the reports of illegal sale purchase and leasing out, misappropriation, usurpation and illegal alienation of temple lands over the years.
It was also decided in the meeting that all the important leaders in the State would be re-contacted in a time bound manner and sensitised about the importance of the Temples Bill. It may be recalled here that PNBMT in its struggle for the Temples Bill have met all the CMs, important legislators, leaders and opinion makers in the State and outside for the last 12 years of intensive struggle for the passage of the said bill.
The statement said that the Temples of Kashmir are more than 5000 years old and need to be preserved for the posterity. The proposed bill would provide a Constitutional mechanism that would ensure the protection, preservation and reclamation of the Temples and envisages democratically elected bodies to administer the day to day affairs of the temples.
The meeting expressed serious concern that the Government appears tardy and lackluster in this regard. The Trust has always believed that the passage of the bill would be a great confidence building measure for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in their homeland in Kashmir.
As such it’s a matter of great importance and urgency because with the passage of time there may be further damage to these symbols of civilizational significance. In the days to come the Trust would be intesifying it’s struggle.
The prominent who attended the meeting included Roshan Lal Pandita, Chairman, Virender Raina president PK, Kuldeep Raina, H.L.Bhat, Kashmiri Lal, Shadi Lal Koul, M.K.Jalali, C.L.Pandita and B.L.Zar.
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