Sharda Temple in PoK: Bollywood director's film 'The Kashmir Files' has brought the problems of Kashmiri Pandits buried in the trough of files to the real ground for years. Ever since the release of his film, the demand related to the homecoming and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the country has intensified.
An organization of Kashmiri Pandits has demanded that the way the Central Government has arranged a special corridor for the people of Punjab to go to Kartarpur Gurdwara in Pakistan. On the same lines, the Sharda Temple in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) should be opened for the visit of Kashmiri Pandits and other Hindus of the country.
According to media reports, the 'Save Sharda Committee in Kashmir' has demanded to open the Sharda Temple in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the lines of the Kartarpur Corridor.
Ravindra Pandita, founder of Save Sharda Committee, while talking to the media said that Kartarpur Gurdwara was reopened after about 72 years and for this, the governments of India and Pakistan had prepared a draft and signed it together. We say that when Kartarpur is reopened then why not Sharda Peeth? I myself have travelled to Kartarpur, so why can't I be allowed to visit Sharda Peeth?
He said that there is a system between the governments of India and Pakistan to visit PoK, which is called the Line of Control (LoC) permit. Ravindra Pandita said that under the LoC permit, it is agreed between the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan that if a person wants to visit his relatives across the LoC, then they can move with the LoC permit.
He said that this is not a visa, but a travel permit like in Kartarpur. The government can start the journey of the Sharda temple by restarting this LOC permit.
Ravindra Pandita said that he has met officials in various ministries in this regard, but no progress has been made in this direction. He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has given in-principle approval to the Pandits and the Ministry of External Affairs is looking into the matter, but nothing has happened so far. Nothing will happen until the followers of Mother Sharda and all the Shankaracharyas raise their voices.
