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| Probe ordered by Governor lacks conviction | | | The probe ordered by the state Governor, General SK Sinha, who is the
Ex-officio Chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board into the alleged
tampering of snow lingam of Bhagwan Shiva in the cave shrine of
Amarnath will not carry conviction with the people at large and more
so those in whose mind the doubt exists about the Shiv lingam having
been man made, instead of its natural formation. It is shrine board
that is in the dock and the Governor, SK Sinha himself heads the
board, which is the accused in the present case. Particularly after
the latest revelation that the shrine board had floated tenders for
purchase of several hundred tons of ice and had purchased the same
from a Delhi firm, the needle is being pointed towards the shrine
board for tampering with the natural formation of snow lingam by its
detractors. Although the shrine board authorities have explained that
the huge quantity of ice was purchased to keep the cave cool, to
prevent melting of the snow lingam formed naturally through pouring of
the drops on the rooftop of the cave over the shrine. The purchase of
several hundred tons of solid snow by the shrine board cannot be
believed to be meant for creating the snow lingam artificially, since
for that purpose only a small quantity of snow was required. Yet since
the allegations have been leveled against the shrine board which is
headed by the Governor himself and impression has been created that
this act was in the knowledge of and took place with the connivance of
General Sinha, any enquiry commission appointed by him will not meet
the purpose of removing doubts in the minds of those who suspect some
foul play in the matter. The best course was that the case was handed
over to the CBI, to be monitored by a sitting judge of the J&K High
Court or a sitting or retired judge of Supreme Court from outside the
state. The justice should not only be administered, but it must appear
of being administered. That is the people must be convinced of the
fairness of the enquiry. Further the person, a retired judge of J&K
High Court appointed by the Governor to probe the matter, has the
reputation of being pro establishment. Further Mr. Gupta, appointed to
enquire into the matter, has in the past remained closely associated
with the Dharmarth Trust and is also supposed to have links with the
shrine board. He does not carry the reputation of acting in a manner
which bestows on him the honour to be a man of proven integrity and
caliber. Since the target of attack by those who have played up the
controversy and who do not want it to die down, has been the Governor,
it was in the interest of Mr. Sinha himself to convey an impression
that the enquiry ordered into the allegations should not have anything
to do with Sinha himself, ether as Governor of the state or as
Chairman of SASB. It was better and would have enhanced his prestige
if he had requested the union government to appoint a judge or some
other person of high caliber and proven integrity to hold the enquiry
into the matter. Since there are enough reason to believe that those
who are raking up the controversy are actually opposed to the
prolongation of the period of yatra to two months for extraneous
reasons, befitting reply and slum to them through a more independent
agency having absolved the shrine board of the charges after a
thorough probe. Further the linking of the allegations of overcharging
the devotees by some traders and this also included in the terms of
reference of the enquiry commission further complicates the matter and
dilutes the main point of controversy.
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