NC, AP express resentment on Waqaf Board ban on collection of donations in Shrines

A number of political parties have expressed their resentment on the ban imposed by the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board to Mutawali’s or caretakers of Shrines who were barred from sitting and collecting offerings in Shrines of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board headed by a BJP leader recently ordered a complete ban on collection of donations by trustees at shrines and mosques run by the board.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference and Apni Party denounced the government decision banning donation collection in the shrines.
National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi dar on Friday denounced the government’s decision of banning tradition of donations at Muslim shrines across Kashmir, calling it an undue interference in the religious, traditional practices of people.
“There is nothing like ‘forced donations’ happening at the shrines as the order claims Everyone who comes to these shrines donate either in cash or kind out of their own free will”, ” NC statement said.
Nabi said the move to ban this age-old practice is not only prejudiced towards the spiritual and religious practices of people but puts a big question mark on the real intentions of the government.
“It tars every caretaker at our revered shrines with the same brush and shows our Sufi syncretic traditions in bad light. The government should apologise to people for denigrating their spiritual beliefs”, he added.
Apni Party President Altf Bukhari termed the Waqf Board’s decision as “an initiative taken in haste.”
Calling the collection by trustees — locally known as Muttawali — as an “unethical practice”, the Waqf Board said the ban was imposed after complaints from people about purported corruption.
Priests and ‘peers’ (faith healers) were not allowed to sit and collect offerings in some shrines of Kashmir on Thursday which they would otherwise do by sitting near the windows and doors of the shrines.
“We have put the ban into action…It was the demand of people. There were grievances by people. The ban is being enforced in every shrine,” chairperson of J&K Waqf Board, Darakhshan Andrabi had said.
Andrabi, who is a national executive member of the BJP, also visited the shrine of Hazrat Nooruddin Noorani at Chrari Sharief in Budgam district to supervise the drive of removing ‘illegal donation spots’.
It has been an old practice in Kashmir that peers, priests and ‘sajada nasheens’ take care of the shrines and people go to them for prayer, blessings and even healing. They give tabaruks (food or amulet blessed with special prayers) to the people and get offerings locally known as “Niyaz” in return.
Bukhari has expressed his concern over the Waqf Board’s decision to remove the caretakers from the shrines and impose a ban on donation collection in J&K shrines.
Bukhari said, “I am surprised over the Waqf Board’s decision to impose a ban on the traditional system of donation collections at the shrines and put an end to the institution of Sajjada Nashin in these revered places.”
Bukhari urged the Waqf Board to hold its decision to pave a way for extensive consultation on it. He said, “No one must have any objection if reforms are needed. But, given the religious and cultural sensitivity of the issue, initiatives must be taken after deliberations and consultations with the concerned stakeholders.”