Excelsior Correspondent
—Excelsior/Rakesh
JAMMU, July 3: Jammu and Kashmir Dharmarth Trust has suggested that the proposed Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places (Management & Regulation) Bill 2009 should be withdrawn as it was divisive in nature.
“We are of considered opinion that this Bill does not help in any way the purpose of restoring dignity of Hindu religion by revival of its places of worship but only creates a division among people of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Er Shashi Khajuria, Secretary of Dharmarth Trust, while talking to media persons, here today.
While elaborating, he said that the some vested interests among the Kashmiri Pandit community were lobbying for unjustified inclusion of 50 odd temples and shrines run by legally constituted religious institutions with a sole purpose to usurp properties and assets attached to these places in connivance with local land mafia and rogue elements in the society. This unjustified demand has created a divide as these institutions are managed by communities such as Dogras and Non-Kashmiri Hindus, who did not migrate and continue to perform their religious duties even during the period of turmoil, he added.
Reiterating that the controversial Bill should be withdrawn, Mr Khajuria said, “If at all, the Bill has to be passed due to some unknown political compulsion; these 50 religious places managed by Hindu religious institutions should not be brought under the purview of the Bill.
In the press conference, Mr Khajuria was accompanied by the representatives of Shri Chander Chinar Akhara Trust Srinagar, Mahant Pirkho Temple Jammu, Shri Sanatan Dharam Sabha Jammu, All J&K Sadhu Samaj, Dogra Brahman Pratinidhi Sabha Jammu, Sanatan Dharam Partap Sabha Srinagar, Hanuman Mandir Trust, Narayan Math Trust Srinagar, Abigujar Trust Srinagar, Laxman Joo Ashram Trust Srinagar, Durga Nag Trust Srinagar and Bawa Jamna Dass Rani Mandir Trust Srinagar.
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