Jammu, May 9, (Scoop News)-Denouncing the attempts of dividing the Hindus of Kashmir into Kashmiri and non Kashmiri by some vested elements in Dharmarth Trust, Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust (PNBMT) The Hindus of Kashmir are united in their effort to establish a democratic and transparent control of all the temples and shrines in Kashmir Valley to stop their sale and use for the personal purposes.
“The conspiracy to divide the Hindu mass into sects, sub sects and castes is to hold on to the shrines and temples for pecuniary gains”, PNBMT spokesman, R L Bhat said in a statement on Saturday .
Elaborating the views of a meeting of the general body, he said that the president of Dharmarth was an employee while PNBMT was a public body including all shades, opinions and concerns of the Hindus of Kashmir , elected as the nodal organization of all Hindus of Kashmir to press for the Temple and Shrine Bill.
The Trust in a meeting held at the Badshah Kalandar Ashram, Paloura, discussed the defamatory statement of the president Dharmarth and found that it was full of misleading and malicious assertions.
The speakers while acknowledging the great service of Maharaja Gulab Singh in protecting the temples and shrines, pointed out that he had explicitly stipulated in the Aayiini Dharmarth that sale of temple land is equivalent to Gav Hatya (cow slaughter).
“But Dharmarth has violated Maharaja’s order and sold land attached to different temples under its supervision. To cite just two examples:, president Dharmarth trust sold 100 kanals of prime land of Jawalaji through attorney in 2010. The very gateway of Shri Raamchandarji temple in Srinagar was sold to one Mushtaq Ahmad.This is within the complex of Dharmarth office in Srinagar. It can be seen by anybody”, the spokesman said and added “the sale of Veetaal Bhairav at Rainawari, by Dharmarth is also well known”.
It is these sale and vandalisation of the temple heritage of Kashmir, by Dharmarth and other personal trusts which forced the Hindus of Kashmir to demand the enactment of the Shrine Bill to provide for a democratic and accountable management, Bhat said.
He said the bill does not make the temples anybody’s personal fiefdom but provides for an elected Shrine Board to look after the shrines.
All Hindus of Kashmir, irrespective of Pandit or non-Pandit, shall vote for this Board and be members of it. Dharmarth president, though presently living in Jammu, is also one of the Hindus of Kashmir from district Kulgam, he too would vote and be elected under the Bill and possibly head the democratic Shrine Board.
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