The Kashmiri Pandit Sangarash Samiti (KPSS) has strongly criticized what it calls the “hypocrisy” surrounding the Waqf Amendment Bill, asserting that those now speaking on religious endowments have remained silent over the decades-long encroachments of Kashmiri Pandit religious sites.
In a statement issued by KPSS President Sanjay K. Tickoo, the organization said it firmly upholds the principle that governments should not interfere in the religious affairs of any community. However, it questioned the “moral authority” of Kashmiri politicians and civil society members who have allegedly ignored the desecration and illegal occupation of Pandit temples, cremation grounds, and sacred springs for the past 35 years.
“For decades, the Temples, Ashtapans, Cremation Grounds, and Sacred Springs of the Kashmiri Pandit community have been encroached upon, vandalized, and turned into commercial enterprises by an unchecked mafia within the majority community,” the statement read. “Neither the state nor the central government has taken any decisive action to restore these sites. The silence of Kashmir’s political class and civil society has been deafening.”
Tickoo asserted that those now opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill had “lost all moral standing” to speak on religious property matters, given their alleged inaction over the years. He questioned why the same voices did not speak up when temple lands were occupied or sacred sites were turned into marketplaces.
“If religious properties are sacred, why was this principle selectively abandoned when it came to Kashmiri Pandit endowments?” the statement questioned. “Powerful individuals, including politicians and businessmen, continue to benefit from the illegal occupation of our religious properties, treating temple lands as lucrative real estate rather than places of worship.”
The KPSS called on Kashmir’s majority community to acknowledge and rectify these “historical injustices” before taking a stand on issues of religious autonomy. The organization reiterated that justice must be universal and demanded a concerted effort to restore Pandit religious sites that have suffered desecration and neglect.
“We refuse to be lectured by those who stood silent as our faith was erased from our homeland,” the statement concluded.
The remarks come amid ongoing debates over the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament, with various stakeholders raising concerns over state control of religious endowments. While the KPSS opposed government interference in religious affairs, it underscored the need for accountability regarding past encroachments on Kashmiri Pandit religious sites.
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