Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 10: It has come as a great surprise to the Hindus of Kashmir that Government has not yet taken any concrete steps towards introduction of the Shrine Bill in the coming session of the State legislature. This was stated by the various speakers at the meeting of the Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust spearheading the campaign of the Hindus of Kashmir for the enactment of Shrines Bill for the protection and preservation and management of the Hindu temples and Shrines in Kashmir.
Giving details of the meeting held at Talab Tillo, Jammu, Dr. R L Bhat. spokesperson PNBMT, said that the speakers pointed the Government speaking of bringing an Auqaf Act. While there are already two Acts to similarly protect and preserve the Wakf properties, the silence over the Shrine Bill has caused grave resentment in the community which is expecting the Shrine Bill to be introduced in the forthcoming session. The community fondly remembers the total commitment to expressed by the PDP President Mahbooba Mufti in the legislature last year. Community also believes that after their earlier Opposition, the assurance given by ranking members of BJP was sincere and honest. Accordingly there is full hope that the ruling parties would fulfill their promises and introduce the Bill in the coming session.
The speakers also lamented that the Government had not made any efforts for restoration of the Jawalaji Shrine, Khrew which was heavily damaged last December. Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust demands that Government should attend to restoration of the shrine of Jawala Mata Khrew in the same speed and large-heartedness as was shown in the Makdoom Sahib Shrine. There is little evidence of this so far.
The spokesperson said that while speakers at the meeting repeatedly urged the Government to treat the shrines of Hindu Shrines of Kashmir with the same as is shown to Muslim Shrine. While there is no objection to the Government taking care of the Wakf properties, the members hoped that the Government would also care for the Hindu temples and shrines and not force the Hindus of Kashmir again on the path of agitation for a cause to which the ruling parties are expressly committed.
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