Temple in Islamabad- Does true religion need a temple?

(This article is one side of the debate published on Newsbbharati.com. Read other side in the link marked at the end) 

 

 

This is what people in India believe and widely follow. But the theory vanishes when it comes to debating over Hindu religion in Pakistan and Islam in India. Strange! After 'Mandir Vahi Banega' stance, a new religious debate to look into is 'Mandir Nahi Banega', the construction on Sri Krishna Temple in Islamabad that would have been a place of worship for more than 3000 Hindus in Pakistan.

 

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday disposed of three identical petitions filed against the construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad’s Sector H-9/2, observing that the construction of a worship place requires mandatory approval of the regulator i.e. the Capital Development Authority (CDA). IHC Justice Aamer Farooq, however, dismissed objections over the allotment of the temple’s plot. The government allotted the plot measuring 3.89 kanals for the temple in January 2017. The plot was handed over to the Islamabad Hindu Panchayat (IHP) in 2018. The petitioners questioned the allotment of the plot on the basis that the same is not provided for in the city’s master plan.

 

 

The court noted that 'the referred objection has no basis inasmuch as designated plots are not provided in the Master Plan rather a broad outline of areas for various purposes is given. It is only later that through Layout Plans and the decisions by the Capital Development Authority through its Chairman/Board that it develops Sectors and Sub-Sectors and designates plots'. "construction of worship place requires mandatory approval of regulator", it added.

 

There has been a lot of controversy over building the temple in capital, not in 2020, but since 2018. And its bound to as Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and Pakistan's Constitution does not allow any action against the principal of Islam. What began as a goodwill gesture from the Prime Minister’s Office with a grant of PKR 100 million for the temple construction, soon saw the religious and political groups go up in opposition. In one such move, the Jamia Ashrafia madrassa ascertained that according to Sharia laws, it is not permitted for non-Muslims to build their new worship places or rebuild those which were in ruins. “This is a sin in an Islamic state.”

 

The same was echoed by federal government’s ally and speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi who said that only the repair of the existing places of worship of the Hindus, Sikhs and Christians was allowed, and that building a new structure was against the spirit of Islam. Islam is the state religion in Pakistan and the State is bonud to it's religion, similar to that of India, who has been rightly advocating Hindus, be it any government, the Congress or the BJP. The Punjab Assembly Speaker added that the act was not only against the spirit of Islam but is also an insult to the ‘state of Madinah’. He further said that the Pakistan government lacked funds for the construction of a mosque but released funds for building a temple.

 

Hindus in Pakistan have been demanding a place of worship for too long now. The site of the Shri Krishna Mandir temple complex will include a crematorium, accommodation for visitors, a community hall and a parking space hitting the already weak government with PKR 100 million. If the state has some better plans to spend the amount under the viels of religional certainty, why don't Hindus draw a border to their hearts and follow religion that requires no complicated philosophy? After all, as mentioned in the beginning, 'Our own brain, our own heart is our temple, the philosophy is kindness'!

 

Counterpoint-