Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 31: Hindus of Kashmir have expressed their shock at the deception of Government regarding the Shrines and Temples Bill.
In a statement issued here, today Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust (PNBMT) which was spearheading the struggle for passage of Bill said that Government declared its commitment for the passage of the Bill early this month for the preservation of shrines and temples in Kashmir. Several times promises were made with the community that the Bill be enacted and the temple heritage of Kashmir will be protected and these promises were betrayed, it added.
Detailing the systematic betrayal of the Government, Dr R L Bhat spokesperson of the Trust said that in March 2014 Government assured in the Assembly that since there had been no representative of the Kashmiri Hindus in the Select Committee and the deficiency would be made good in the Joint Select Committee and the Bill will be cleared in the next session. This commitment was made by all ministers including Chief Minister repeatedly to public and Trust, he added.
He said JSC was not notified for three months after the Speaker of the Assembly made a declaration in the House and then the Committee was framed but it did not contain the representative the Government and the Speaker had talked of, he added.
Dr Bhah said the very first meeting of JSC did not take place on July 1 and the next meeting was scheduled for August 19. While the representatives were called, the Chairman himself did not come for the meeting so it could not take place due to lack of quorum.
Dr A N Pandit, president of Trust said that Government was never sincere. He accused the Government of betraying the community and thus systematically and conspiratorially undermined the Bill. This shows that Government is in cohorts with the land mafia and others busy in selling and undermining the temples and religious places of Kashmir.
Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) while expressing its concern over negative role played by the Government on temples and shrines Bill said that in the heart of heart coalition was not sincere in its passage. KPC chief Kuundan Kashmiri said, NC played a big fraud with the community by bringing the Bill when it was in opposition to hoodwink the displaced Pandits and later on did not show any interest in its passage after coming to power during its six year rule.
He said had the NC been sincere it would have got the requisite number of members for the passage of the Bill as PDP had shown its willingness to vote for the same. But there was no sincerity on the party of the ruling party, he added.
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