B L Saraf

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, while addressing religious scholars, Imams of Masjids and executives of the J&K Wakf Board, in Srinagar the other day, urged Imams to stop preaching Jihad In Masjids and emphasized that “there are no short cuts to paradise.

Picking up gun won’t take any one to paradise.

Paraduise lies beneath the feet of parents.”

She appealed to the religious scholars “to lead the society in getting it out of the difficult issues by showing the right path as has been ordained.”

Well said, madam CM. It is now for those who wield influence in the field to listen and carry forward this message in a proper direction so that the dance of death and mayhem, we witness daily in the streets of Kashmir, comes to an end. Any way, we leave this matter to the other day. Miss Mehbooba said something more on the occasion which, we believe, should be of great interest to the displaced Hindu community of Kashmir.

The Chief Minister termed the Wakf Board as a community institution which needs to be developed on the most modern lines with the use of technology. She said many projects of the massive community help are under consideration of the Wakf Board which will be of great help to humanit y.” She went on to say that if the assets of the Muslim Wakf Board are properly maintained, it can generate enough resources to fund many big community welfare initiatives. Mehbooba told the audience that it was the PDP Government that, in 2005, carved out two universities and a nursing college out of the Wakf resources which have now prospered as leading institutions in the State.

Hindus, living in Kashmir, have been yearning for a statutory architecture, like the Wakf Board and the Gurdhwara Pranbhnadhak Committees, to take care of their religious places in the Valley and utilize their properties and resources for the benefit of society in the manner the CM has indicated Wakf properties have been used, like spreading education etc. It is for this reason there is the need for a Law for protection, management and care of

Shrines and Temples in Kashmir. Though there are other reasons, also, the main being the one which Aims and Objects of the lapsed Bill, 11/ 2009, have brought out, rather, succinctly.

The Government emphasized the necessity of the Bill, inter alia, thus: “Due to the disturbed conditions in the Kashmir Valley in year 1990, the majority of Hindus left the Valley and the Shrines remained unattended. There are complaints that properties of these Shrines have been encroached and most of them are in dilapidated conditions. Many associations and bodies of the community have shown concern in this behalf.”

The plight of Shrines and temples is really bad in Kashmir. There is well-documented record how the unscrupulous have plundered their properties. The undesirable activity goes on. It is unfortunate that the role of those who were entrusted with the job of proper management of these Shrines and Temples have left much to be desired. Properties are pilfered. These managers I pujaris have lost confidence of the community which, as rightly put out by the CM , has resulted in “societal decay and erosion of social values in the system.”

It is the unanimous demand of the displaced community to have such a law. Nonetheless, a few amongst us have expressed concerns and feel apprehensive of the proposed law. May be they have a point, but, as explained to them , there were sufficient provisions in the lapsed Bill to address genuine concerns. Still, if any one feels more needs to be provided in this regard the issue can be sorted out by mutual interaction and exchange of views. If need arises, more can be proposed in the Law, in addition to what was there in the Bill No. 11/ 2009, to address the concerns. After all, the Hindu Community is guided solely by the desire to save its sign posts of civilization, culture and fait. Therefore, to oppose the enactment of the desired law at the very threshold won’t serve purpose of any one. The persistent opposition to the law and any more delay in the enactment will only gladden hearts of land sharks and

enemies of the community.

CM Mehbooba must take the lead. We hope she will appreciate the issue in the same spirit and visualize a similar role for Shrines and Temple’s property in the Valley as she has seen it for the Wakf properties - to serve society. Shri Mata Vaishnov Devi Shrine Board could be a role model in this regard.

Let a Statutory Shrine and Temples Board in Kashmir be another Community Institution.

Governments, over the period, have been trying to take the displaced back and rehabilitate them in Kashmir. Unfortunately, lack of mutual trust has marked the relationship. So, nothing could move forward. We feel that enactment of a Law for a transparent and democratic management of Hindu Shrines and Temples in Kashmir will, surely, constitute a big CBM in this regard. ■

(A luminary of the Bar and the Bench, the writer is former Principal District & Sessions Judge)

 

DISCLAIMER:

The views expressed in the Article above are B L Saraf’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.

Courtesy: Koshur Samachar  April, 2018 and Sh. B L Saraf (former Principal District & Sessions Judge)