Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 30: Extending their full support to Pt Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust in its struggle for passage of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places Bill, Joint Forum of KP organizations today urged the Government to ensure the passage of the Bill in the coming session of State Legislature.
The demand was made at a press conference jointly addressed by Forum leaders including Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, president P K, HL Chatta, president ASKPC, H N Jattu, president AIKPC, D N Kissu, chairman ADKPUF, S Prem Singh, president KSDF and Virender Raina, spokesman of the Forum.
They said the Forum also fully supports the progrmme of the Trust, which is holding a demonstration cum rally on September 1 at Jammu to press its demand for passage of the Shrines Bill.
The Forum leaders while justifying the demand said temples and shrines of Kashmir are the symbols of religious and cultural beliefs of the indigenous people of Kashmir which represent over 5000 years of cultural ethos of Valley. The culture of Kashmir, its identity and its being having grown around these heritage centers and today this whole heritage is at a brink, they added.
Expressing concern over the present position of these heritage centers in Valley, they said the temples are being razed down, their land is being taken over by mafia groups who are hell bent in grabbing the symbols of Hindu religion and ethos. Many ancient shrines are suffering due to lack of care and maintenance, they added.
This dire state of affairs has also been accepted by the Government through the objectives of “The Jammu & Kashmir Shrines and Religious Places of Kashmiri Hindus Bill” they said, adding the Bill is lying with Select Committee in which it is said that the most of religious places have become victims of greed, lust and covetousness. The result is not only threat to the existence of these places but plenty of funds and revenue generating assets attached to thereto are also misused.
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