Srinagar- As the Waqf Amendment Act sparks national debate, Kashmiri Pandits are calling for a similar law to protect Hindu religious places in Jammu and Kashmir. The Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS) has warned that it will approach the Supreme Court if their demands are not met.
The KPSS claims that more than 1,400 temple properties across the Kashmir Valley have been encroached upon. The group says this would not have been possible without the involvement of government officials and some politicians.
Sanjay Tickoo, president of KPSS, said, “Forged sale deeds have been made, and such encroachments could not happen without administrative support. We now demand the formation of a Sanatan Board to manage Hindu temples, just like the Waqf Board does for Muslim shrines. Both boards should work together to promote communal harmony.”
He added that KPSS would wait until June before moving to the Supreme Court if no action is taken. “Our concerns are not just about temples,” Tickoo said, “but also about jobs and human rights violations faced by Kashmiri Pandits.”
The KPSS also criticized the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for staying silent for decades on temple encroachments and only showing concern now over Waqf property regulations.
“If the government fails to act within two months, the KPSS has vowed to seek justice through the Supreme Court,” they said.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit has expressed support for the KPSS’s demands, stating that Kashmiri Pandits have every right to raise their voice for the protection of their religious places and properties, and that the government must act to safeguard temple lands.
Altaf Thakur, spokesperson for the BJP’s J&K unit, said, “What our Pandit brothers are demanding is genuine. Many of their lands were forcefully encroached upon when they were displaced. Now that they are seeking a bill for the protection of these properties, the government should pass it.”
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