Srinagar: National Conference and Congress on Friday denounced the government’s decision of banning tradition of donations at Muslim shrines across Kashmir with former calling it an undue interference in the religious and traditional practices of people.
Lamenting the move, State Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said that the justification provided by the government to ban donations sans logic. “There is nothing like ‘forced donations’ happening at the shrines as the order claims. Everyone who comes to these shrines donate either in cash or kind out of their own free will. The move to ban this age old practice is not only prejudiced towards the spiritual and religious practices of people but puts a big question mark on the real intentions of the government,” he said adding, “It tars every caretaker at our revered shrines with the same brush and shows our Sufi syncretic traditions in bad light. The government should apologise to people for denigrating their spiritual beliefs.”
There are already ample provisions in law to deal with any sort of exploitation, Imran said adding, “Mismanaging Wakf properties has been one of the biggest failures of the incumbent govt. Far from augmenting the resources and revenue of Wakf board by creating assets, the administration is busy raking up issues which have no significance,” he said.
The move, he said, is meant to gloss over the mismanagement of Wakf board under the current regime which has failed to do its basic duty which is to manage our rich heritage of shrines and other structures.
Former J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Ghulam Ahmad Mir slammed Wakf Board’s move to ban donation and withdrawal of spaces occupied by Sajada Nisheens in various shrines since a long.
Mir urged the Wakf Board to revisit the decision in view of the age-old tradition existing in Shrines in J&K.
In a statement, Ghulam Ahmad Mir has said that Wakf Authorities should not interfere with the donation collections and the places occupied by the Sajada Nisheens in various shrines of Sufis and Saints, as they have been managing shrines since along.
Mir referred the statement of Wakf Chairman regarding forcible collection of donations in Shrine and said that whosoever visit shrine of Sufis and Saints to pay obeisance give their donations at their will then where is the question of forcible donations, if that is the case, that too can be contained under norms. Banning donations and withdrawing spaces is very unfortunate on the part of Wakf Bord. (GNS)
