Hindu Temple to Goddess Faces Imminent Destruction in Pakistan

Washington, D.C. (March 13, 2011) - A historic and ancient temple of Durga Mata, dedicated to the Hindu Goddess, is facing imminent destruction in the Tharparkar district of Pakistan’s Sindh province. The temple, between 2,000 to 2,500 years old, is endangered by newly started quarrying for granite at the base of the hill on which the temple stands.

Hindus lodged a complaint to halt the work, but the Sindh government, ignoring their request, issued an official lease to the contractor of the quarry to continue. The temple may be destroyed within a month if the quarrying for granite continues, experts claim.

"Our 2010 Hindu Human Rights report again highlights the woeful condition of Hindus and Hindu places of worship in Pakistan,” said Prof. Ramesh Rao, Hindu American Foundation’s Human Rights Coordinator. “While the bulk of international opprobrium against Pakistan is concentrated on its machinations in Afghanistan and India’s state of Kashmir, the ongoing human rights crisis ongoing within its own borders involving the Hindu minority are too often overlooked. It is incumbent upon the U.S. to predicate its military aid to Pakistan on improvements in the country’s atrocious human rights record.”

Some 200,000 pilgrims visited the Durga Mata temple during the recent holy festival of Shivratri. The pilgrims protested the destruction and urged the government to stop the work. The work was halted during the festival but has resumed again. Pakistan’s media, both print and television, have thus far failed to publicize the Hindu complaints, and spokespersons for this fast shrinking and neglected minority feel that Hindus are increasingly alienated in Pakistan.

Grant state land to all 172 Tamil schools, all hindu temples & cemeteries in 3 P.R States. HRP letter to C.M Lim Guan Eng, Tan Sri Khalid and Dato Seri Azizan.

NO.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245

Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com Email:info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com

31 March 2011

Y.A.B Tan Sri Dato Sri Abd Khalid Ibrahim,

Dato’ Menteri Besar Selangor,

Tingkat 21, Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah,

40503 Shah Alam. Tel : 03-55447013 / 03-55447022 Fax: 03-55190032 E-mail : Khalid@selangor.gov.my

Y.A.B Lim Guan Eng,

Chief Minister of Penang,

Paras 25, Komtar, 10503 Pulau Pinang. Tel : 04-2621957/ 04-2642020 Faks : 04-2634940

Y.A.B Dato’ Seri Ustaz Azizan Bin Abdul Razak

Pejabat Menteri Besar dan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Kedah

Aras 4, Blok B, Wsima Darul Aman

05503 ALor Setar, Kedah. Tel: 04-7744000 Fax: 04-7744166 Email: suk@kedah.gov.my

Y.A.B,

Re: 1. Alienation of land to all 172 Tamil schools, all Hindu temples and Hindu cemeteries in the three states ruled by Pakatan Rakyat and 2. request for list of Tamil schools, Hindu Temples and Cemeteries granted State Land and not yet granted State Land according to the Freedom of Information Act 2010 (Selangor)

We refer to the above mentioned matter and also to Makkal Osai Tamil Daily (30 March 2011) and Free Malaysia Today online newsportal (29 March 2011), which ad reported that the Selangor State Government confirmed that in 1973 the Puchong 14th Mile Tamil School was granted and alienated six (6) acres of land. However later on when a Malay School was build they had taken up to four acres of land leaving the Tamil School with the remaining a mere 2 acres of land. And now a further half an acre is to be taken away to build a bus station.

We understand that this very same instances of the “robbing” of Tamil school land has happened to the Payar Besar Tamil School, Lunas, to the Tamil School land in Petaling Jaya, which was granted 7 acres of land but similarly taken away and given to a Malay school and leaving the Kampung Lindungan Tamil school with a mere 1.5 acres of land and that too if indeed the said two and one and half acres of land is in the name of these Tamil Schools. This is just tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of other Tamil schools nationwide in the same predicament.

This happens only to the Indian poor because of the absence of written documents and instruments pursuant to National Land Code which delivers a valid title to all of these Tamil Schools. Had these Tamil School been issued their valid land titles and with a lawful registration of the instruments, these schools and most of the 523 Tamil Schools nationwide would not be in the current “landless” predicament as they are in today.

In order to avoid this mode and model of injustices, we ask that your goodselves first restore the 4 acres of land that was “robbed” from the Puchong 14 Mile Tamil School, alienate original six acres and 7 acres of the land back to the above mentioned Kampong Lindungan Tamil school and then issue them with a final title pursuant to Section 85 of the National Land Code, which is a conclusive title pursuant to Section 89 of the said Code.

We ask that your goodselves alienate in the general public interest all the aforesaid 172 Tamil schools, all Hindu temples and Hindu cemeteries with state land by virtue of Section 76(a)(ii) of the National Land Code and by virtue of Section 40 of the National Land Code which stipulates that all state land are vested solely under the authority of the State Governments. In addition to this, Section 42(1) of the National Land Code gives the authority to a State Government to alienate land. Therefore in compliance with the above mentioned provisions of the National Land Code, we appeal that your goodselves exercise your goodselves exclusive authority alienate and revert the “robbed off” four acres of land back to the above mentioned Puchong Tamil school, Lunas Tamil school the Kampung Lindungan Tamil School and other such schools..

Further we also ask that your goodselves alienate and issue the final land titles to all 172 Tamil Schools, namely 98 in Selangor, 28 in Penang and 46 in Kedah, all Hindu Cemeteries and Hindu temples in all three states ruled by Pakatan Rakyat as a gesture of gratitude and appreciation to the Malaysian Indian community, 90% of whom had especially under Hindraf’s political directions voted for Pakatan Rakyat and thus your goodselves ruling in these three states. And now where is the change? Especially with over 3 years of your goodselves rule

In the event another government coming to power after the next General Elections they are never going to or would never alienate land to these very basic and fundamental Indian poor cause as they have refused to do during their 50 year rule of in particular these 3 states. And there would never be a permanent solution to this land problem.

Therefore we humbly request your good selves alienate land and issue Final Land Titles to all the 172 Tamil Schools, all Hindu Cemeteries and all Hindu Temples in these three states ruled by the Pakatan Rakyat Government and grant a permanent as opposed to the current kosong piecemeal one by one Tamil dailies propaganda by UMNO.PKR,DAP,and PAS using Indian Excos MP, ADUN and other mandores .

We also request your goodselves to furnish us with a complete list of Tamil schools, Hindu cemeteries and Hindu temples which had been alienated with State Government land during the Pakatan Rakyat rule in these over 3 years and all other Hindu temples, Tamil schools and Hindu cemeteries yet to be alienated with State Government land in accordance with the CAT- Competency, Transparency and Accountability Pakatan Rakyat policy in these 3 Pakatan Rakyat ruled states and also by virtue of the freedom of Information Act 2010 (Selangor) .

We thank you for your kind co-operation.

Kindly revert to us accordingly within two weeks from the date hereof.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

________________________

P.Uthayakumar

Secretary General(pro tem)

PKR, DAP & PAS Selangor grants 90% or 114 out of 128 hectares (430 acres) of non muslim place of worship land to just a few Chinese temples. But 5,000 Selangor Hindu temples granted 7.67 hectres. Unlimited land for Malay muslims.

This latest PKR, DAP and PAS act is exactly what the racist and religious supremacist UMNO had been doing in the previous 50 years of their rule of Selangor.
You can count the number of Chinese temples in Selangor. It is not a requisite for the Malaysian Chinese culture to have their temples within their community as the Indian Hindus and the malay muslims require.
But the Chinese have been rightly granted land to build Chinese temples.
But why is the Selangor PKR, DAP and PAS state government committing this deplorable and blatant level of acts of racism and discrimination of the Selangor Indians? Is this PKR, DAP and PAS change?
(see NST 31/3/2011 at page 10)
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice.
www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com

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