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Hindus demand reconstruction of all temples damaged in 1992

By Shahnawaz Khan

LAHORE: The Hindu community on Thursday demanded the reconstruction of more than 1,000 temples across Pakistan, which had been demolished by violent Muslim mobs in December 1992 in protest against the demolition of the Babri Mosque in India, while Muslims in India commemorated December 6 – the day Babri Mosque was demolished by Hindus – as a “day of resistance” and demanded the Indian government reconstruct the Babri Mosque and take action against those responsible for the incident.

Talking to Daily Times, office bearers of the All Pakistan Balmik Sabha (APBS) – a major Hindu organisation in the country – said that no religion in the world permitted violence and blamed anti-human individuals in India of fanning religious hatred by demolishing the Babri Mosque on December 6, 1992.

JJ Vishnu Mangay Ram, former advocate general of the Sindh High Court and chairman of the APBS, said the Babri Mosque demolition had affected humanity on both sides of the border. He demanded the government fulfil its promise and reconstruct the places of worship of the minority Hindus.

APBS Balochistan President Atnay Ram Chohan said that more than 1,000 Hindu temples had been damaged in Pakistan following the Babari Mosque incident and the government had assured the Hindu community that their places of worship would be restored, but that promise has yet to be fulfilled.

APBS Punjab General Secretary Dr Munohar Chand said that though the government had started reconstructing several temples in Multan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Kohat, Bahawalpur and Lahore, the pace of work was slow and must be completed on priority to promote religious harmony in the country. He added that several temples in Lahore including Jain Mandir, Krishna Mandir, Balmik Mandir in Nila Gumbad, Balmik Mandir and Bawa Mandir in Taxali Gate and Shah Alam Mandir had been damaged in the violent protests in 1992, but the government had only reconstructed the Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road. He added that the government had reconstructed the Krishna Mandir structure, but ignored the traditional worship symbols.

The Indian Muslims observed December 6 as a “day of resistance”, while the Hindus marked the day as a “day of victory”. Special prayers were offered on Wednesday in Muslim-dominated areas of Bhindi Bazaar and Muhammad Ali Road in India at 3:45pm – the time when the Babri Mosque was razed to the ground.

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