STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust (PNBMT), the nodal organization of the exiled Kashmiri Hindus of Kashmir for the Shrine Bill, demanded that the political parties of the State should assure Hindus of Kashmir that they mean to pass the Temples and Shrines Bill for the protection of the temples and shrines in the Valley of Kashmir.
In its meeting held here on Monday, General Body of the Trust reminded the State leaders that they have given high assurances to the community that they are committed to the protection of the temple heritage of Kashmir. “Shrine Bill is the consensus demand. This is one of the core issues on which the whole community of the displaced Hindus of Kashmir is united individually and severally,” the Trust sought.
The speakers while appealing to the community to participate in the democratic process, impressed upon the political parties as well as the government that they should raise the stake of the displaced Hindus by including their aspirations, like the Shrine Bill, in their agendas. While the leaders of parties in the government and in the opposition have expressed their support to the demand, the support needs to be translated into the political objectives.
The PNBMT general body meeting was presided over by Dr A.N Pandita and Coordinated by Shadi Lal Koul, General Secretary. Among those who spoke at the meeting were H.L Bhat, M.K Jalali, Brij Lal Bhat, M.K Bambro, Virider Raina, Roshan Lal Pandita, Sundri Lal Koul, M.L Ganjo, P.L Raina and Manmohanji Thaplo.
The speakers at the meeting lauded the huge ground work done by PNBMT, with the result that today a fullscale directory of the shrines and temples of is available in the form of the Trust publication Hindu Shrines of Kashmir.