Srinagar : National Conference on Saturday denounced the government’s decision to ban public donations at public shrines, saying it amounts to undue interference in religious, traditional practices of people.
The Party General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said this while addressing a press conference here at the party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha today. Among others Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, State Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, Showkat Mir, GR Naaz, JS Azad were also present on the occasion.
Lamenting the move to unseat traditional caretakers and banning them from taking public donations, Sagar said, “It is not for the government to decide the state of affairs in the shrines. Government must, albeit with great care and sensitivity, tread on this path to ensure people’s beliefs aren’t abridged,” he said.
“These shrines have been the focal points of our shared social cultural milieu, hence the government should have been very careful towards it. The Mujawirs, Caretakers, Gadidars, Mansabdars have been associated with the shrines since ages. The custom is deeply etched in local cultural ethos fashioned by the sufi teachings. It is highly reprehensible that the government is targeting the entire community with the same brush. Nobody denies the presence of black sheep in this field but there are ample laws to deal with such people. There was no need for this undue and harsh measure, which besides hurting the religious sentiments of people has also shown our shrines in bad light. We condemn it unreservedly and demand immediate roll back of the decisions,” he added. (GNS)
