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| When Mahants become 'temple dealers' | | KPs approach separatist for safety of temples | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Dec 19
After suffering the crisis of their ethnic identity and distinct culture, the Kashmir Pandit migrants are now concerned about the safety and security of their temples and shrines in the Kashmir Valley.
Ironically, the temples and shrines in the Valley are running through the risk of plunder in the hands of their own caretakers. The Kashmiri Pandits have alleged that the outsider priests in connivance with some locals are engaged in selling of idols, temple lands and shops.
Kashmiri pandits are struggling to save their temples and shrines from being sold by unscrupulous non-Kashmiri caretaker priests who have off late become the "dealers of temple properties".
After failing to get help from the government, the Kashmiri pandits have now knocked at the doors of hard-line and moderate Hurriyat leaders, seeking their help in stemming the rot and preventing the non-locals from selling shrines and temple property.
"Some non-local priests have come to Kashmir to take control of the temples. They are clandestinely selling or transferring temple properties i.e. land, buildings, shops and idols.
Some members of the majority community have also been roped in by these people to achieve the purpose," said Sanjay Kumar Tickoo, president, Kashmiri Pandit Sangrash Samiti (KPSS), an apex body of Kashmiri pandits who did not migrate from valley in 1990.
What has irked the pandits is the lackadaisical attitude of the government in stemming the rot. "We brought this to the notice of all the concerned government officers requesting them to ban the illegal sale of temple property. But every one seems to have turned a blind eye in this regard," said Sanjay.
"The police have arrested one of the mahants for illegal sale of temple property. We do not know what action was taken," he added. Nearly 4,000 Kashmiri pandits did not migrate and are still living in Kashmir. |
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