Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 2: More organizations have expressed their grave concern over the withdrawal of permission to Kounsarnag Yatra in South Kashmir district of Anantnag and taken the State Government to task for the same.
Prof.Bhim Singh, chief patron of National Panthers Party (NPP) has expressed shock on the grave incident of ‘Kausharnag Yatra’ stopped by the State Government under the excuse of maintaining law and order in the Valley.
The NPP supremo praised the residents of Kashmir for their high spirit of tolerance and secular ethos as the Kashmiris have been practicing the tolerance of composite culture for centuries. He said that there are three main Hindu religious activities in Kashmir which include the world-known Amarnath yatra, festival of Kheer Bhawani and the well-known Kaunsarnag yatra. He attributed prays to Kashmiri Muslim brethren for their effective and active cooperation to make these three non-Muslim events big and memorable events each year.
Taking a dig at NC led Government, students f various colleges today staged a protest demonstration under the banner of Jammu Joint Student Union (JJSU) at Government Degree College (GDC) Paloura.
The protest was led by Nitish Sharma, vice president NPSU and the irate students raised slogans against the State Government.
Nitish Sharma while expressing his shock over the Government decision to withdraw permission to Kounsarnag pilgrimage under the excuse of maintaining law and order said it was a highhandedness of separatists in the Valley who earlier forcing the minorities to flee from Kashmir are now trying to take control of their religious places and Government was hand in glove with them. He said Kashmir is abode of Hindu religious places from Puranic period and Neelmat Puran the ancient religious scripture on Kashmir is testimony to it.
He said the sacred Hindu Shrines in Kashmir included Swami Amarnath cave, Sharda Mata temple presently in PoK, Prachin Amarnath, in Bijbehara, Kheer Bhawani, in Tulmulla Ganderbal, Amarnath cave in Dhanshwar Bandipora, Sharika Peeth, Hari Parbhat, Shankarachariya, Durga Nag, Mahadev in Harwan,all in Srinagar district, Gangbal in Kangan Ganderbal, Naran Nag, Mansbal and Shadipora in Ganderbal, Kheer Bhawani, Manzgam, Kulgam, Zeshta Devi, Srinagar, Dumtbal, Srinagar, Tirath Raj Mattan, in Anantnag,Kapal Mochan, Shopian and Shailputri, Baramulla, Kheer Bhawani Tikker, Bhaderkali Handwara, and Shiva Devi Akingam, Uma Nagri Brari Angan in Anantnag and many more shines and thousands of devotees used to visit these shrines prior to mass migration of Hindus from Valley.
He urged the Government that for preserving the secular ethos and traditional brotherhood it should create conditions for revival of pilgrimages to all these shrines.
Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch (JKVM) while condemning the Government action said that permission to yatra was denied under a gameplan by the State Government. The JKVM national vice president Dr R L Bhat said that this way the Government was giving a boost to separatist and communal forces in the Valley who are responsible for present turmoil, death and destruction the State.
He however said this will not be tolerate any more now as communal elements in Kashmir can’t deny the Hindus of Kashmir their ancestral faith and claim in Kashmir.
Kashmir Samiti Delhi (KSD), while condemning the State Government for withdrawal of permission to Kounsarnag yatra said that this decision has hurt the sentiments of Hindus all over the globe. KSD president, Vijay Raina said that NC led coalition has come into its true colors and all claims made by it on maintaining secular traditions have proved hollow. He said denial of permission to pilgrims is negation of their right to religion.
Jagti Coordination Committee (JCC) leaders Sanjay Raina and Ravi Zuthsi while expressing their concern over denial of permission to pilgrims to visit the ancient shrine of Kounsarnag said that it shows that the State Government was working as a puppet in the hands of separatists whose writ still runs large in Kashmir. They said this way the Government was not interested in the return and rehabilitation of Pandits in Valley and NC was a part of game plan under which Pandits were forced to leave Valley in 1989-90.
Ram Sena, while condemning the State Government action warned it to desist from pursuing separatists’ agenda. Rajiv Mahajan president of Sena has also asked the State Governor, N N Vohra to dismiss the State Government and impose the Governor’s rule to maintain law and order.
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