1 day ago
Pakistan Temple Demolition Sparks Investigation and Restoration Demands
An old Hindu temple in Pakistan was reportedly destroyed.
It stood in Siraj village in Punjab and was more than 100 years old.
Minority groups say people tore it down to make a nearby religious school larger.
They also say some temple materials were taken away afterward.
Pakistani officials give a different explanation.
They say heavy rain caused the temple to collapse.
The temple’s neighboring land had once been leased to a seminary, but that lease was later cancelled.
Community leaders want the temple rebuilt and the incident investigated.
A Hindu group in Jammu also protested the reported destruction.
A more-than-century-old Hindu temple in Siraj village, Narowal, was reportedly demolished on August 21.
Minority advocates allege the temple was dismantled to expand an adjacent seminary and accuse TLP members of involvement.
The Evacuee Trust Property Board says the temple collapsed because of torrential monsoon rains.
The Pakistan Masiha Millat Party has sought an investigation, reconstruction, and removal of alleged illegal occupants.
Bajrang Dal held a protest in Jammu, while officials said the temple’s land had not been leased.
- Who
- The Pakistan Masiha Millat Party, local residents, Hindu community leaders, rights advocates, Pakistani officials, and Bajrang Dal are involved in the dispute.
- What
- A more-than-100-year-old Hindu temple was reportedly demolished, prompting demands for an investigation and reconstruction.
- Where
- The temple was in Siraj village, Narowal, Punjab, Pakistan, about 130 kilometres from Lahore; a related protest took place in Jammu.
- When
- The temple was reportedly demolished or collapsed on August 21; the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party submitted an application on August 28.
- Why
- Minority advocates say the temple was deliberately removed to expand an adjacent seminary, while the Evacuee Trust Property Board says torrential rains caused its collapse.
Minority Advocates’ Account
Government Account
Cause of destruction
Minority Advocates’ Account
Local residents and minority groups allege that the temple was deliberately demolished on August 21 so its land could be absorbed into an adjacent seminary; some reports attribute the act to Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan members.
Government Account
Rana Iftikhar of the Evacuee Trust Property Board said the approximately 100- to 125-year-old temple collapsed because of torrential rains.
Use and control of the land
Minority Advocates’ Account
The Pakistan Masiha Millat Party says the seminary’s lease was cancelled after years of unpaid rent and that illegal occupants remained despite an order to evict them and seal the property.
Government Account
The Evacuee Trust Property Board says the adjacent land was leased for a seminary but that the temple’s own land was not leased to anyone.
Accountability and restoration
Minority Advocates’ Account
Activists and Hindu leaders want the temple rebuilt in its original form, alleged encroachments removed, and officials and others responsible for failing to protect the site investigated.
Government Account
The government has not endorsed the deliberate-demolition account and said senior officials would decide whether the temple should be restored.
Key facts
- Temple age
- Sources describe it as approximately 100 to 125 years old.
- Reported date
- August 21
- Location
- Siraj village, Narowal, Punjab, Pakistan
- Approximate site area
- 1,000 square metres
- Protesters’ allegation
- The temple was dismantled to make room for expansion of an adjacent madrassa or seminary.
- Government explanation
- The Evacuee Trust Property Board attributed the collapse to torrential rains.
- Property dispute
- The adjacent seminary’s lease was reportedly cancelled after unpaid rent, but activists say eviction and sealing orders were not implemented.
- Requested action
- An investigation, reconstruction in the original form, and protection of religious sites and adjoining properties.
Quotes
Rana Iftikhar
Senior official of Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Property Board
“The district administration and the ETPB failed to take adequate measures to protect the site or remove the alleged occupants, ultimately allowing the temple to be demolished.”
NDTV
“The temple carries no name in our record books. However, it is a very old one... more than 100 to 125 years old,”
NDTV
Rakesh Bajrangi
President of the Jammu and Kashmir Rashtriya Bajrang Dal
“An old temple—dating back 100 to 130 years—located in Siraj village in Pakistan has been demolished.”
republicworld.com
Sources
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