Hindu outfits to protest against govt over demands

Hindu organisations have once again made preparations to protest over their demands, including stopping of illegal construction of mosques and heavy influx of migrants in the district, on September 30. The Devbhoomi Jagran Manch (DJM) has distributed pamphlets on which demands have been printed among masses.

Members of the Hindu community held a protest rally from Hanuman Temple from Ramshila to Lower Dhalpur on September 14 against the alleged illegal construction of mosques in the district and heavy influx of migrants. They had given 15-day ultimatum to the state government and the administration to fulfil their five demands.

The demands of the Hindu organisations include demolition of alleged illegal mosques, identification of migrants coming to Kullu without registration and a complete ban on selling food and grocery items by such people. Besides, they demanded a ban on street vendors who were doing business in every nook and corner of the district.

Anurag Sharma of the DJM alleged, “The land of the mosque in Ram Gali in Akhara was in the name of Khadi Board. Besides, it was built using forged and illegal documents. Even construction was done flouting the Town and Country Planning Department norms. The mosque is the only high-rise building in the entire area.”

He lamented that no action was taken by the administration in this regard. He said a protest rally would be held again in Ramshila at 11 am on September 30.

Kullu SDM Vikas Shukla said, “According to papers, the land of the Akhara Bazar Mosque is under the Punjab Waqf Board. The area on which the mosque has been built is around 980 square feet, but the administration is going to carry out its demarcation again.”

Nawab Hashmi, Imam of Kullu’s Masjid, said they had the ownership papers of the land on which the mosque had been built and its construction was legal.

A local resident Surinder Mehta said earlier there was only a temporary tent and store house of Khadi Gramodyog on the site where the mosque exists. He said a small structure was constructed in the 80s by members of the Muslim community on the site. The row over the mosque erupted in 2017, when objections were raised against alleged illegal additions to the mosque, he said. The pathway known as “Masjid Gali” was also renamed “Ram Gali”, he added.

Meanwhile, some residents are appealing to maintain harmony in society and avoid communal disputes. A local social activist Guman Singh said recent statewide communal protests were worrisome because these were an attack on the constitutional rights of the minority community, particularly the Muslims, who constitute just 2 per cent of the state’s population. He said the government should exercise utmost vigilance to maintain law and order for all citizens and take prompt action and timely measures to avoid any untoward incident.

Maya Devi, a resident of Kullu town, said, “The people of Himachal Pradesh should not fall prey to such communal and divisive agenda. They should exercise restraint and rationality based on the guiding principles of harmony and equality enshrined in the Constitution of India.”