Municipal Corporation to charge Rs 5 for Pindadan in Gaya, Bihar

Editorial comments

• To levy such charges on Hindu religious activities is tantamount to Aurangzeb`s ‘jizya tax’! The Hindu organisations should strongly oppose this and compel them to repeal it.
• The Government, on one hand, is appeasing the Muslims by squandering money on education grants and other facilities to provide modern education in Madarasas. On the other hand, the Government is finding ways to charge fees for Hindu pilgrims. This is defined as ‘secularism’ in India. For this injustice of the secular Government system, Hindu Rashtra is the only solution.

Gaya (Bihar) – Gaya Municipal Corporation will charge Rs 5 for everyone travelling to 50 ‘Pinda-Vedi’ in Gaya, where Pindadan is carried out. The Corporation has hired a contractor by giving them a tender of Rs 5,50,000 per year to maintain and clean the ‘Pinda-Vedi’ area. The fee will be recovered accordingly; however, the decision has been opposed by the priests and their association here. They have warned that the consequences will be catastrophic.

The Panda Samaj and Vishnupad Prabandhakarini Samiti have opposed this. They said, if the Municipal Corporation plans recovery like this, then the Holy place Gaya will become a hub of recovery in the eyes of the pilgrims. This should not become the source of earning money. The decision should be withdrawn immediately.

Vishnupad Prabandhakarini Samiti President Shambhu Lal Vitthal said people are disappointed with this decision. Municipal Corporation and the administration should reconsider this decision.

The Corporation defended saying, the decision to collect a fee was taken after the Corporation hired a contractor by giving them a tender to maintain and clean the premises of Sitakund and Akshayvat temple.