Former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sh Lal Krishan Advani’s last visit to historic Sheetal Nath Temple of Srinagar, Kashmir, was on September 15, 1989. He had to rush to Srinagar in order to pay tributes to his party colleague, Sh Tika Lal Taploo, who was killed by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorists in a broad day light in Srinagar, 34 years ago on September 14.
The then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President, Sh Advani was accompanied by his party general secretary, Kedar Nath Sahini among other State leaders and activists.
While addressing the gathering at Sheetal Nath Temple where Sh Taploo’s body was kept for last `darshan’, Sh Advani had blamed the Government for its failure to stop terrorist activities in the State, whuich later continued for years together. The then BJP President had also met then Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah to express his anguish over the death of a Kashmiri Pandit leader.
That was Mr Advani’s last visit to Sheetal Nath Temple, which remained closed for 31 years before its reopening on February 16, 2021 on Basant Panchami.
Importance of Sheetal Nath Temple
Besides being the abode of Bhairava Sheetalnath, the blessed form of Lord Shiva, the historic Sheetal Nath Temple used to be a prominent place for political and social activities. The Hindu High School used to be a prominent school and a household name.
Sheetal Nath Temple had a great podium where veterans like Hargopal Kaul, Jia Lal Kilam, Kashyap Bandhu, Shiv Narain Fotedar, Tikalal Taploo, Amarnath Ganjoo, Shambhu Nath Peshin, Amarnath Vaishnavi and H.N.Jattu used to address Kashmiri Pandit community on occasions of importance and need. This podium is a witness to so many movements of Kashmiri Pandits.
Mahatma Gandhi had also addressed the Pandits from the same podium in 1947 where he is reportedly to have said, “He saw a ray of hope in Kashmir’’. Balraj Madhok, Pt. Prem Nath Dogra are among other Jan Sangh leaders who have spoken from this podium.
It was the same podium where the body of Sh Taploo was laid for the last `darshan’ consequent upon his killing on September 14, 1989, now observed as “Kashmiri Pandit Balidan Divas” everywhere.
Born in 1930, Sh Taploo was a man dedicated to a cause. After studying Law, Sh Taploo had joined Kashmir Bar in 1957 and was enrolled as an Advocate of High Court in April 1971.
At the time of his killing, he was the vice-president of Bharatiya Janata Party in Jammu and Kashmir. Next day after his death, Jammu city had witnessed a complete shut-down. Sh Taploo had unsuccessfully contested several elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
In September 2022, the Supreme Court of India had declined to consider a petition requesting an investigation into the murder of Sh Taploo. His story is featured in the 2022 Hindi film The Kashmir File. During the same year, North Delhi Municipal school was renamed after him as ‘Shaheed Tika Lal Taploo’ in the Rohini area in sector 7-B
