2006 Lahore temple demolition
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Lahore temple demolition refers to false reports of a Hindu
temple called Krishna Mandir located in Wachhowali, Rang Mahal, in the city of Lahore
in Pakistan
on May 27, 2006 by regional officials. Wachhowali, a narrow commercial and residential lane reached through Sooha Bazar and Chhatta Bazaar, is to Lahore what Katas is to Pakistan because of the presence of several Hindu temple
s, which are managed and maintained by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (EPTB).
in 1992.
had moved the Lahore High Court
to stop construction on the site, and the court issued a stay order and requested the Lahore Development Authority
to provide information on the history of the site. According to the Daily Times
on June 30, 2006, Om Prakash Narayan who had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court had withdrawn his writ, saying the temple was intact and he had filed the petition because of a misunderstanding. Mr Narayan, who is also the secretary general of the Pakistan Minorities Welfare Council was reported as saying:
[i]“…after visiting the place and being told by the locals that there was no temple where the plaza was being constructed, I decided to file an application in the court to withdraw my petition against the federal secretary of Religious Affairs and Evacuee Property Trust Board (ETPB) chairman".[/i]
leaders misleading and interference in Pakistan's internal affairs and that they should look at what is happening against minorities in India, which calls itself a liberal secular state. While BJP statements were unhelpful and playing to their own domestic political tunes, this last bit from Mr. Narayan sounds a little too canned, and mimics earlier statements from the Pakistan Minister for Religious Affairs, Ejaz-ul-Haq, who (again, according to the Daily Times) had spoken two days earlier to say that “India's Hindu nationalist leadership must cease spreading propaganda about Hindu temples being destroyed in Pakistan” because such allegations could impede the India-Pakistan peace process.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple called Krishna Mandir located in Wachhowali, Rang Mahal, in the city of Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
on May 27, 2006 by regional officials. Wachhowali, a narrow commercial and residential lane reached through Sooha Bazar and Chhatta Bazaar, is to Lahore what Katas is to Pakistan because of the presence of several Hindu temple
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
s, which are managed and maintained by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (EPTB).
Demolition
The building in question was not Krishna Mandir, but rather an abandoned Mandir in Rangmahal locality of Lahore. The original Krishna Mandir is still intact and located on Ravi Road. In 2006, the Pakistan government supported its renovation from damage sustained after radical Muslims attacked it in retaliation for the Babri Masjid demolition in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1992.
Legal Action Withdrawn
Om Prakash Narayan, a resident of RawalpindiRawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
had moved the Lahore High Court
Lahore High Court
The Lahore High Court is based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on March 21, 1919. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over Punjab...
to stop construction on the site, and the court issued a stay order and requested the Lahore Development Authority
Lahore Development Authority
Lahore Development Authority is responsible for new planned development in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. This body also act as regulatory body for new construction or houses planning permissions are required for new housing projects, private houses and commercial developments in the city areas...
to provide information on the history of the site. According to the Daily Times
Daily Times
The Daily Times is an English language Pakistani newspaper. Launched on April 9, 2002, Daily Times, which is simultaneously published from Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi, is edited by Rashed Rahman...
on June 30, 2006, Om Prakash Narayan who had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court had withdrawn his writ, saying the temple was intact and he had filed the petition because of a misunderstanding. Mr Narayan, who is also the secretary general of the Pakistan Minorities Welfare Council was reported as saying:
[i]“…after visiting the place and being told by the locals that there was no temple where the plaza was being constructed, I decided to file an application in the court to withdraw my petition against the federal secretary of Religious Affairs and Evacuee Property Trust Board (ETPB) chairman".[/i]
False Propaganda
Mr. Narayan was also reported as calling the statements of Bharatiya Janata PartyBharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
leaders misleading and interference in Pakistan's internal affairs and that they should look at what is happening against minorities in India, which calls itself a liberal secular state. While BJP statements were unhelpful and playing to their own domestic political tunes, this last bit from Mr. Narayan sounds a little too canned, and mimics earlier statements from the Pakistan Minister for Religious Affairs, Ejaz-ul-Haq, who (again, according to the Daily Times) had spoken two days earlier to say that “India's Hindu nationalist leadership must cease spreading propaganda about Hindu temples being destroyed in Pakistan” because such allegations could impede the India-Pakistan peace process.