Mother’s missionaries face uphill task in Kashmir Valley

SRINAGAR, Nov 8: The Missionaries of Charity may close down their voluntary services in the violence-hit valley as the government is showin...

SRINAGAR, Nov 8: The Missionaries of Charity may close down their voluntary services in the violence-hit valley as the government is showing indifference towards their request for allotment of the land to expand charity operations.

The world-famous Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity (MoS) are functioning from a small rented annexe in Sonawar here for the past two years. Four white and blue bordered sari-clad nuns of the MoS are running a crafts and tailoring training centre here for women of the down-trodden sections besides visiting the leprosy hospital every Friday.

At least, 25 girls from different localities and even from adjoining rural belt visit the make-shift training centre in batches. “We have only one small room which we use for all purposes including a training centre,” said one of the sisters.

The MoS has been requesting the State Government to allot a piece of land anywhere within the central city so as to build a Home. After a year of unsuccessful efforts by the nuns, the late Mother Teresa herself through a letter (dated September 8, 1996) requested the authorities to “donate or to lease out a 1.76 acre piece of land, known as Raghnath Villa, No. 1 Gupkar Road, Srinagar, so that we can have a home to care for malnourished, abandoned and orphaned children, sick and dying destitutes and girls in distress".

This property identified by the MoS is reportedly lying vacant for the last 21 years. The piece of land was leased out to P N Chopra with effect from October 27, 1947 for a period of twenty years. The lease that expired in October 1967 was not extended and the land is lying vacant. Actually, the MoS is not able to buy a piece of land or a building due to the state subject restrictions. So, the missionaries are requesting the Govt to lease out the piece of land at Sonwar.

Sources said the authorities had asked the sisters that some land can be leased out to them in the city outskirts but the MoS is stressing upon land located anywhere in the central city.