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| Valley based Pandits, migrants on war path over management of Hindu shrines in Kashmir | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 20: With Government continuing to maintain its stoic silence over the passage of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Temples Bill introduced in state Assembly by previous coalition Government, some organizations of displaced Kashmiri Pandits and those of Valley based Pandits are on war path over the management of various shrines in Kashmir.
Except the Dharmarth Trust and a few organizations maximum Hindu shrines and temples were managed by local management committees of KPs in Valley but after the mass exodus of Pandits from Valley in 1989-90 these temples and shrines remained unattended for years together.
For the upkeep of these shrines and temples which are the heritage centers linking the community to the ancient past culture and tradition of Kashmir, the displaced Pandits over the years have been demanding the enactment of a law for their protection and constitution of a Board on the pattern Wakf Board or State Gurudawara Prabandhak Board. But the failure of the Government to set up a Board for the management of Hindu religious places in Valley has led to rift between some Valley based KP organizations and those of displaced Pandits who were officially managing these shrines.
One of the major controversies has been created at Sheetal nath Shrine which has been a traditional meeting place of the Pandits of Valley to discuss the community's social and political programmes. The shrine is managed by ASKPC which earlier was known as Yuwak Sabha and A N Vaishanvi a senior KP leader is its head. However a Valley based KP organization after debunking the Vaishavi's ASKPC has claimed right over its management.
Taking serious note of the activities of the Valley based Pandit organization what it called the forcible occupation of the shrine ASKPC has accused it of hobnobbing with some mafia groups and Government agencies to convert the prime land belonging to shrine into a hotel.
The ASKPC general secretary H L Chatta and its senior vice president R K Raina has also accused the SHO Kral Khud Srinagar and other police officers of Kashmir in facilitating the illegal occupation of the prime land belonging to Sheetal Nath Shrine which has been a traditional political and social Akhara of Pandits in Valley.
Not paying any heed to the ASKPC's allegations the Valley based KP organization has taken over the management of the shrine and started its activities with the plea that those who left the Valley have no right over the management of shrines or temples.
Terming it a grave issue Kundan Kahsmiri national president Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) said it is the handiwork of Government which wants to create a division among the community to divert their attention from the passage of the Bill. ``We are not concerned that who so ever managed the shrines and temples in Valley till date. But we are for passage of the Bill so that an elected Board is constituted for upkeep and management of the Hindu shrines and religious places in Valley.''he added.
The Government should not try to buy more time in this regard and without losing any time it should pass the Bill which is the general demand of the community whether living in exile or Valley.
Besides the Sheertal Nath there is also dispute over the management of various other shrines in Kashmir with more than one organizations claiming the right of management over them. This has resulted in a mess and created a lot of confusion among the community itself, said B B Gosani, another KP leader. To set the things right the Government should take immediate steps regarding the passage of the Bill to bring all temples and shrines including those which are being looked after by Dharmarth Trust and other Hindu bodies under its control, he added.
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