“Bemina Imam, whose two kids were slaughtered, was putting up in a godown type shed, completely inhabitable for human beings”
SRINAGAR: A non-governmental organisation in Kashmir has filed an appeal to the human rights commission, saying Imams or prayer leaders were not being paid enough by the Waqf board.
The petition has come after two children of an Imam in Bemina area were found slaughtered at their accomodation provided by the Mosque where he led prayers.
Investigations by the police revealed that the children, aged 4 and 2 respectively, were murdered by their own mother, before wounding herself, while the father led morning prayers.
But the People’s Forum has told the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) that it suspects that the mother of the children was “compelled by financial constraints”.
“They were putting up in a godown type shed in Bemina, completely inhabitable for human beings,” the petition reads, according to a local news agency, CNS.
The Forum came to know that the father (Imam) of the slaughtered children was just being paid an honorarium of Rs 5500 per month.”
The People’s Forum says that the Waqf board, which manages many shrines and mosques, was paying its staff “well”, but only discriminating against the Imams.
The petitioner has alleged that neither the Waqf Board has so far been able to evolve a need based policy regarding Imams nor has been able to regulate the conditions of the service of such respectable class of society.
“More than 55 percent of the income of the Waqf Board is spent for salary of the staff most of whom are retired government employees. Many of such retired employees have been engaged in the board on political considerations,” the petition reads.
In the petition it has also been alleged that Waqf has become a personal property of ruling party while the Hajj and Auqaf department has also not been able to regulate and enforce a system.
“As per norms it was decided that the minimum wages of Rs 12000 per month for Imams should be fixed but that has not been implemented so far.”
