Kashmiri Pandits protests to press on for Temple Bill

Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits and some others, who gathered held peaceful protest, carrying banners and play cards as well as shouting slogans in favor of their demand. The gathering was also addressed by representatives of various organizations of the community and some other supporters of their cause, to highlight their concern for the protection of their religious places in Kashmir. The religious places of Kashmiri Hindus
in Kashmir are being vandalized, encroached upon and sold by some unscrupless elements, after the forced mass exodus of the community from Kashmir 22 years back, it was observed.

The speakers appealed to the legislators of all the parties to support their demand and move the bill and get it passed in the current legislative session. It has also appealed to the government to bring and official bill in the budget session and also pass the same, since leaders of all the parties have assured the community of their support to the bill.

The KP community has been demanding for long for the constitution of statutory body to protect, maintain and manage their religious places in Kashmir, on the pattern of Auqaf Board for the Muslim religious property and Gurduwara Prabandak Board and Committees for the protection and management of Sikh Gurdawaras. The passage of the bill will be a biggest confidence building measure for the migrated KP community to return to the valley and settle their with a sense of security and dignity, it was observed in the meeting.

The community members expressed the regret that despite assurances given publically to them by the leaders and legislators from all the parties to support their demand for the passage of the bill as well as the assurances held by the government, the bill has not been introduced either by the government or by any individual member as a private member bill.  This has forced the community to come to the streets and hold protest Dharna as a first step. The community will be forced to intensify its struggle for the just cause and take more direct actions. Those who have assured the community members of their support in the matter and even taking lead in the resolution to come up and passed in the legislature include Revenue Minister, Raman Bhalla, Agriculture Minister, G.H.Mir, PDP patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed, CPI (MLA) M.Y. Tarigami, some BJP and NC MLAs. Despite assurances made publically from all these quarters the bill is not moved in the assembly either by the government or by any private member, the meeting regretted. Hence it resolved to intensify the movement to achieve the objective.

It was also recalled that in 2008 the then leader of the opposition NC in the state assembly, A.R.Rathar, who is presently the Finance Minister, had move the bill in this regard. But on the assurance of the then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad that the government would soon bring an official bill for the purpose. But soon after that the government fell and till this date the bill has not been moved and introduced in the legislature. The NC who is now the main ruling party is under moral obligation to introduce the bill and get it passed. Since legislators of the all parties have assured of their support to the same.

The community leaders appreciated that many leaders of Muslim religious bodies and scholars have also conveyed their support to the cause, but regretted that some vested interests within the community and Hindu Religious Trust are sabotaging their cause.