Jammu, October 03 (Scoop News)-Various actual ground level working Management Committees of temples and shrines of Kashmir Valley have asked the government to pass the pending Temple Bill without any dilution and include each and every temple under the purview of the proposed bill adding if government keeps any temple away from the purview of the Bill no management committee would let their temples to be taken over by the proposed board.
Addressing a press conference in this regard the All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) National Spokesperson and Vice President Gangbal Trust King Bharati alongwith representatives of various temple management committees working in Kashmir Valley said that two marathon meetings of the representatives of different temple management committees working on actual ground in Kashmir Valley for the past several years were held recently where the proposed Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places (Management and Regulation) Bill commonly known as Temple Bill and the recent developments regarding it were discussed threadbare after which the management committees passed a resolution offering some suggestions to the Bill besides warning the government of any attempt to keep the temples of some influential people out of the purview of the Bill.
Bharati said that representatives of various ground level management committees have resolved that a diluted temple Bill won’t be acceptable to them as it were these management committees working on ground level in Kashmir who are the real stake holders of the temple movement in Kashmir Valley.
He also listed the proposed 15 amendments suggested by the working committees adding if the government tries to accommodate certain influential people by keeping temples under their control out of the purview of the Bill they will be forced to launch an agitation and won’t let the temples under their control to be taken over by the proposed board.
Bharati also reminded the government of his organizations (APMCC’s) warning that a Kafan Yatra from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari would be launched to fight any dilution of the temple bill adding his organization was in favour of a full-fledged temple bill to cover all the temples and shrines of entire J&K state in the second phase.
The major amendments suggested by the working committees for the bill includes constitution of the temple board from the village Temple Management Committee level, treating the existing temple management bodies as the first management body of each temple, bringing all temples under the purview of the bill and uniform development of all temples of Kashmir Valley.
This he said was necessary as each and every temple of Kashmiri Hindus has a unique way of performing puja archana, customs, rituals and festivities which a district level board cannot do without local temple management committees elected by local Kashmiri Hindus of each village.
Soom Nath Saraf of Kapal Mochan Trust Shopian said that Temple Bill should not be diluted in any way and original Bill with amendments like inclusion of ground level committees elected by local villagers be incorporated in the Bill.
TK Dhar, of Mata Tripur Sundari reiterated that all temples irrespective of the influence must be brought under the purview of the Bill and treating the existing temple management bodies as the first management body of each temple while Shuban Pandita of ZDPC Srinagar, insisted on continuing the unique traditions, rituals and festivities of the individual temples.
Girdhari Lal Bhat of Kheer Bhawani Tikkar and Bansi Lal Pandita, of Shardha Asthapan Commitee Gund-Gushi, Kupwara, said that government must take into confidence those who are working on actual ground level for the welfare of the temples in Kashmir while Suresh Pandita, Secretary (Sharda Mata Trust, Bandipora) and Sanjay Trisal of RAF Rainawari said that that the existing temple management committee’s should have the voting right to elect the members of the Board Yoginder Singh Jamwal (Mata Katyayani & Bhoot Nath Temple Kakran), suggested including the Shamshann Bhoomi (cremation grounds) under the definitions of the shrines of Kashmiri Hindus in the Bill to protect them from encroachments.
Advocate Arun Kandroo, Gen Secy APMCC said that while his organization has pioneered the temple movement in Kashmir valley since 2004 which includes two fast unto death by APMCC chairman Vinod Pandit at Jammu and Porbandar Gujarat, the government has ditched them by not keeping its promises made while requesting them to end the fast.
He said that it was ironical that the people who work on ground zero in Kashmir valley and have reopened, repaired, renovated, reconstructed and maintained various temples were never consulted by the government regarding the Bill while on the other hand it was delaying its passage under pressure from influential people who do not want the bill to be passed to loot the temple property in Kashmir through various means.
He said that during 2011, 10-day long fast unto death by Vinod Pandit, the then minister RS Chib had assured a dialogue but nothing moved further adding during 2013 Porbandar (Gujarat) 15-day long fast unto-death the Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister through a faxed message to Collector Porbandar, Government of Gujarat on February 14, 2013 vide DO Letter No PS/HMOS/ Rev/ 986/2013 Dated 13-02-2013, had requested them that the government was seized of the issues and the same were being examined at the appropriate levels and the fast may be called off.
However after first round of talks with the minister in his office chambers on February 28, 2013 where a list of temple encroachments was also submitted to him, APMCC heard nothing from the government thus once again being ditched by the government.
Bharati said that the government again be-fooled the Kashmiri Hindu community during last Assembly session and sent the Bill to the Select Committee of the State Legislature. Even then Kashmiri Hindus were still hopeful that it would be passed in whatever shape the government brings it.
However unfortunately for the last few weeks an impression is being given through various sources/vested interests that the government was not only sidelining the actual ground level working committees of Valley but also trying to decide the fate of the Bill according to its own whims and fancies to suit a few vested interests even as there are reports that government has roped in some vested interests to dilute the Bill and keep some temples of influential people outside the purview of the Bill.
This is a cruel joke with those people who have sacrificed a lot by putting their life into danger to maintain the temples at various places in Valley despite militancy and necessitated to get together and send a clear message to the government that now unless and until the actual ground level working committees of Valley temples and shrines were not taken into confidence by the government and the interests of the individual temples protected they would not allow the government to pass the diluted, one-sided and ill-conceived bill without the recommendations, suggestions and amendments of the actual ground level temple and shrines working committees of the Valley, Bharati added.
The copy of the resolution would be sent to the president of India, Prime Minister, leaders of opposition in both houses of Parliament, Sonia Gandhi, Raj Nath Singh, Governor of J&K, CM of J&K, Speaker, Chairman Select Committee, Law Minister, all members of Select Committee, all ministers, all MLAs and other leaders, he informed.
Those who were present in the press conference include King Bharati, National Spokesperson All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC/Gangbal Trust), Soom Nath Saraf (Kapal Mochan Trust Shopian), Tej Krishan Dhar, President Shri Tripur Sundari Sanstha, Khanbaran, Devsar, Kulgam, Shuban Pandita of Zestha Devi Prabhandhak Committee, ZDPC, Srinagar, Rajinder Raina, Vice President, Sanatan Dharam Sabha Handwara, Yoginder Singh Jamwal (Mata Katyayani & Bhoot Nath Temple Kakran, Kulgam), Girdhari Lal Bhat President (Mata Kheer Bhawani Asthapan, Tikkar Kupwara), Suresh Pandita, Secretary (Sharda Mata Trust, Kaloosa Bandipora), Sohan Lal Raina, Secy Sadhu Ganga Asthapan, Kandi Khaas, Kupwara, Advocate Arun Kandroo Gen Secy APMCC, Tej Krishan Zutshi, Advocate Rajesh Tingloo (Kulgam), Vimarsh Koul (APMCC), Sanjay Trisal, Rainawari Action Forum (RAF), Vaital Bhairav Temple Srinagar, Bansi Lal Pandita, President Shri Shardha Asthapan Committee Gund-Gushi, Kupwara) Sumesh Raina of APMCC.
M
READ FULL STORY at http://www.scoopnews.in/det.aspx?q=32442