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| Three member committee does not inspire confidence | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | June 8
Three member committee appointed by Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to examine the scheme of priority on payment of fees, for permission to have out of turn entry into the cave shrine to pay obeisance to the deity, will not inspire the confidence of the people at large and hence not serve the purpose. In the wake of all round flak drawn by the introduction of new prevision by the shrine board for granting permission to the desirous devotees to have out of turn darshan of the goddess by getting entry from a separate gate on payment of fees ranging from Rs 200 to Rs1000 and demonstrations held at Katra as well as at Jammu by the devotees of the goddess and members of various socio cultural and religious organizations as well as over all criticism of the scheme by almost all those, who have some stake in the pilgrimage, Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has set up a three member committee to review their earlier decision and submit the report by June 16. In the meanwhile the scheme of paid darshan will continue. All the three members of the committee are either members of the shrine board or connected with it in one way or the other and are liable to be influenced by the authorities in the Shrine Board who have introduced this unimaginative and illogical scheme and who have come out to defend the same. In fact there was no need of appointing the committee and the decision in this regard should have been retraced and withdrawn, in view of all out opposition to the same, characterizing the same as commercialization of holy Hindu yatra, hurting the sentiments of Hindus in general and devotees of the goddess in particular. The shrine board should read the writing on the wall and avoid confrontation with the devotees and public at large in whole of Jammu region, who are up in arms against this scheme. Particularly the State Governor Gen. S K Sinha, who is the ex officio Chairman of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and who has ample goodwill in Jammu, where almost all the people support him against the virulent campaign launched against him by some communal minded and secessionist Kashmiris should in no way lose the sympathy of the people here and the devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi all over the country, by standing on matter of prestige. Various steps taken by him in his capacity as Chairman of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Shri Amarnath Shrine Board are being strongly supported and defended by the people of Jammu and the nationalists in the country as a whole. Yet all of them have expressed themselves against the latest decision taken by Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which has hurt their sensitivities and religious sentiments. This ample goodwill of Jammu people towards the State Governor and Chairman of two shrine boards, should in no way be allowed to fritter away. |
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