Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 17: Various social and religious organizations under the banner of J& K Dharmarth Trust (JKDT) today demanded that the Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Temples Bill lying with Select Committee of the Assembly be withdrawn.
The demand was made at a joint press conference addressed by president, Dharmarth Trust, Maj Gen (Retd) R S Jamwal, president Sanatan Dharam Sabha Jagdish Raj Dogra and representatives of Sadhu Samaj and other social organizations.
“The Bill be either reviewed or withdrawn” Brig Jamwal said, adding it is not acceptable to the organizations and trusts who are managing the Hindu shrines in Kashmir and have performed pooja there even during the period when militancy was on peak.
He said the 45 shrines and temples being managed by non Kashmiri Hindu organizations are safe and there is no encroachment and tress passing in these temples and shrines hence the Trust and other organizations are opposed to passage of the Bill.
He warned that the passage of the Bill in the coming Assembly session will lead to a unnecessary controversy and the Hindu trusts and other organizations opposed to its passage will be forced to take the issue to Court of Law.
He however welcomed the dialogue on the issue with Pt. Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust demanding the constitution of Board for preservation and management of all Hindu shrines in Valley.
Brig Jamwal said that they had no objection if 600 temples other than the 45 temples managed by non Kashmiri Hindu organizations are brought under the purview of the Bill. He also took strong exception of dividing the Hindu community on the name of Kashmir and other Hindus saying that entire Hindu Samaj all over globe is one and recalled the services of Maharaja’s in reviving and preserving the shrines of Kashmir which were totally damaged during the Pathan rule.
He said that neither the State Government consulted the Trust and other Hindu organizations’ managing the temples in Valley nor the Pt. Prem Nath Bhat Trust to discuss the pros and cons of the Bill which was tables in Assembly in 2009.
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