Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 22: Alleging that the change in the nomenclature of the Mubarak Mandi-Bahu Fort Cable Car project to the Mubarak Mandi-Shahabad project was an attempt to change the demography of the winter capital of the State, activists of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena, held a protest demonstration in the city, here today.
Led by their president Ashok Gupta, the Shiv Sena and Dogra Front activists raised slogans against the State Government and threatened a vigorous agitation over the issue.
The protest demonstration was also addressed by Ashok Gupta, who said that the Government move smacks of a conspiracy to suppress the history of Dogras, which shall not be tolerated by entire Dogra community. “This move of Government is nothing but a provocative attempt by the BJP-PDP Government to hurt the religious sentiments of Jammuites and this is high time when we all Jammuites should oppose the move tooth and nail,” he added.
Meanwhile, talking to media persons, here today, JKNPP chairman Harsh Dev Singh expressed anguish over the nomenclature given to the project in recent tender notification of J&K State Cable Car Corporation Limited.
He said that subsequent withdrawal of the said tender notification yesterday would not suffice until and unless, the project was restored to its original name. He disclosed that on March 5, 2014, the State Tourism Department and the Managing Director of J&K Cable Car Corporation had clarified that the name of the cable car project was “Peer Kho to Bahu Fort” by issuing an official handout. “They had clearly said that the take-off point would be near Peer Kho Shrine and the landing point would be near the Bahu Fort. The ropeway consisted of two sections. The Section-I with a length of 1,137 metre would be between Peer Kho and Mahamaya and the Section-II with 453 metre length from Mahamaya Park to the Bahu Fort,” he said and added that the clandestine change of the nomenclature of Jammu’s revered Cable Car Project had not only endorsed the communal ideology of the secessionists but also desecrated the holy shrines of Lord Shiva and Goddess Mahakali after whom the ropeway had been named.
Recalling few similar attempts earlier to erase the heterogeneous cultural diversity of State, Singh revealed that the State Tourism Department had named Hari Parbat as Koh-e-Maran as the venue for ‘Kashmir Fort Festival 2016’ in the official brochures, advertisements and hoardings all across the valley which appeared to be a dangerous design to alter the names of Hindu shrines and places in Kashmir. “Further there were persistent attempts made by certain communal, divisive and secessionist forces to rename Shankracharya Temple as “Takht-e-Suleiman” in Kashmir besides Anantnag as Islamabad by the Kashmir media and certain Government functionaries, which was highly provocative and vexatious,” he added.
Shri Ram Sena has also criticized BJP- PDP Coalition Government for creating controversy to halt the project and creating law and order situation in the peaceful Jammu region.
Addressing a press conference, State president of Shri Ram Sena, Rajiv Mahajan warned a mass agitation against the State Government if the Cable Car project is not re-christened. He said this is a matter of great concern that a cable project, which is going to be established at Jammu and is supposed to be centre of attraction of Jammu Pradesh, has been given name after a street. “Since the project is going to connect pilgrimage place Bawe Wali Mata” and tourist spot Bagh-e Bhau, it should have more appropriate to be named after Bawe or Bahu,” Mr Mahajan said.
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