‘Margdarshan cornerstone for return’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 24: Cutting across their party lines, Kashmiri Pandits today reiterated their demand for passage of Hindu Shrines and Temples Bill for constitution of a Board on pattern of Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee and Auqaf for protection of Hindu shrines and temples in Kashmir Valley which are the heritage monuments representing the age old rich Hindu culture and civilization.
During a meeting organised by Pt Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust here, today the Kashmiri Pandit representatives from social, political, religious bodies showed their total dismay over the delay in constitution of Board by the Government for protection of the Hindu shrines and temples by passing the Bill. While pressing their demand they said it is high time for the Lt Governor’s administration to constitute the Board as the first Confidence Building Measure (CBM).
They said there are over 1400 Hindu shrines and temples in Kashmir and many of them are in dilapidated condition while large number of these shrines’ have been encroached upon by anti social elements and land mafia during the last three decades of turmoil. Some of the speakers demanded that the community should take an initiative by itself and constitute the Board on its own instead of looking towards the Government.
They said the Hindu shrines and temples are testimony to over 5000 year old rich cultural heritage of Kashmir and the community can’t afford to allow them to remain in ruins. It said with the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A and re-organisation of the State into two UTs the Government has no problem in constitution of the Board for protection of these religious monuments in Kashmir.
The meeting which was chaired by Prof Trisal also chalked out the strategy for holding of Chetna Divas on December 27 and urged the community Speaker K K Khosa who is president of KP Sabha Jammu to present the demands of the community forcefully on that day.
On return and rehabilitation of the community majority of the members said that Margdarshan resolution of 1991 was the corner stone for the same and community should not make any compromise on it. On the occasion former chairman of the Trust, Dr A N Pandita was honoured by the Trust.
The other issues including PM package, economic rehabilitation of the community with special emphasis on overaged youth and political empowerment were also highlighted. Besides, Pandit Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust, the representatives of Panun Kashmir , KP Sabha Ambphalla, Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj, Sharika Peeth Sanstha, Subash Nagar, All Migrant Camp Coordination Committee, Gosani Gund Ashram, Tral Prabhandak Committee, Anantnag Prabhandak Committee, Swami Ram Trika Ashram, Bharatiya Janata Party, Oma Bhagwati Asthapan Trust, Vivekanda Kendra, Nagdandi, Rainawari Prabandak Committee, Vitasta Samaj Sewa, Veerinag Prabahndak Committee, representatives form Baramulla SDS and other dharmik and social organizations of the Valley participated in the meeting.
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