New Commemorative Issue: 2012: Mata Vaishno Devi

[Coinsforever]

Rs. 5 coin with picture of Mata Vaishno Devi irks Muslim religious leaders

 
Bhaskar News | Jun 21, 2013, 08:17AM IST


New Delhi: The Rs. 5 denomination coins issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), bearing images of Mata Vaishno Devi, have triggered a controversy. Members of several Muslim communities have expressed their displeasure at the religious overtones of the legal tender, and plan to stage a protest against it.



The RBI announced in May putting into circulation Rs. 5 denomination coins to commemorate the occasion of Silver Jubilee of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

Dr Azimuddin, chairman of Movement for Human Welfare said, "Ours is a secular country and featuring the picture of a Hindu goddess on the coin will harm secularity," while adding that "Coins are given to beggars and tossed by saints during holy processions. With such instances, it is not proper to imprint a picture of a deity on it."

The coins that raked up the controversy bear Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar with the legend Satyamev Jayate inscribed below, flanked on the left periphery with the word Bharat in Devnagri and on the right periphery flanked with the word India in English.

Below the Lion Capitol is the rupee symbol followed by the denominational value '5' in international numerals.

On the flip side, though, the coin bears in the centre a picture of the Hindu deity Vaishno Devi, with the inscription 'Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board' in Devnagri along the upper arc and in English along the lower arc.

Hindu religious leader counters conspiracy theory

Meanwhile, spokesperson of Sanatan Sanstha Abhay Vartak said, "Coins bearing pictures of Mother Teresa, Alfonso have been issued in the past. What's wrong if coins embossed with images of Vaishno Devi are circulated."

Source :daily.bhaskar

[Abhay]

If you see reply No. 114 dated 11th May, 2013, I had expressed the same feelings about the withdrawal of this coin.

You have to agree that these coin dealers do get the news related to the coins much ahead of all of us.

So, time to purchase 1 full packet of 100 Coins??

Abhay

[dheer]

I still haven't got a single coin of this ... maybe its time for me to rush and collect some before these become ultra rare 

[Dux]

This kind of controversies should be avoided...
An islamic country like Indonesia got ganesha on their currency.. then why not in india..

 

[asm]

.........then why not in india..

Because it is India..........

Amit

[Venkatesh A J]

not because it's india ...general mp elections are ahead...so..they know what they are doing

[Coinsforever]

Coin-troversy
Mid-Day.com | Updated: June 20, 2013 11:45 IST


The Reserve Bank of India recently released a coin in the denomination of Rs. 5 to mark the silver jubilee of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB). No sooner did the coin go in circulation than its secular credentials came under heavy scrutiny. Members of several communities have taken umbrage at the religious overtones of the legal tender, and plan to stage a protest against it.



The tails of the coin it's non-controversial face shows the Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar with the motto Satyamev Jayate inscribed below, flanked on the left periphery with the word 'Bharat' in Devnagri script and on the right with the English word 'India'. Below the Lion Capital is the rupee symbol followed by the denominational value '5' in international numerals.

On the flip side, though, the coin bears in the centre a picture of the Hindu deity Vaishno Devi, with the inscription 'Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board' in Devnagri along the upper arc and in English along the lower arc. "Ours is a secular country and featuring the picture of a Hindu goddess on the coin will harm secularity," said Dr Azimuddin, president of Movement for Human Welfare. Thoughtfully, he added, "Coins are given to beggars and tossed by saints during holy processions. With such instances, it is not proper to emboss a picture of a deity on it."

Conspiracy theory

Maulana Mustaqim Azmi, president of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema in Maharashtra, said. "We might not be able to understand or accord the importance the goddess commands for Hindus, since in Islam, showing pictures of God/Allah is not allowed." Questioning the impulse behind the concept, he added, "We think this is a conspiracy by the government to rupture secularism in the country. We will stage a protest against the authorities."

Hindu organisations like Sanathan Sanstha have no objection to the coin. "Earlier, the country has had coins with Christian saint Alphonsa and Mother Teresa marking their birth centenaries. What's wrong with a Rs. 5 coin with Mata Vaishno Devi? We welcome the decision, though we think that the government has done this to appease Hindus before the elections," said Abhay Vartak, the Sanstha's spokesperson.

Bad for business

When it comes to currency, commerce trumps religion. Shopkeepers in areas like Kurla, Pydhonie, Mahim, Jogeshwari and Bhendi Bazaar say they are finding it difficult to trade coins with customers from other communities. "If a minority community member finds a coin with images of deities, they reject it and we have to issue them another one," said a businessman from Kurla. "Issuing such coins will create communal disharmony, as other communities are not very open to the idea."

Moreover, many Hindus do not use the coin for transaction, given the divinity cut in on it. Said the shopkeeper, "I myself have kept two of these coins at my home temple for worshipping." A businessman from Nagpada area had a more cordial idea. "If you want to avoid the conflict, then put motifs from all religions Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian on one coin," he said. RBI officials said coins are issued by the Government of India's finance department. Nobody could be contacted in the department despite repeated efforts.

Source :NDTV

[Isai(Sumitha)]

I still dont have this coin.. Time to buy one !!

[dheer]

I still dont have this coin.. Time to buy one !!

Even I did not have this coin, so made a queue to the dealer earlier this month and got some ... but then the goddess smiled on me and I got it from circulation last Friday

[Coinsforever]

Even I did not have this coin, so made a queue to the dealer earlier this month and got some ... but then the goddess smiled on me and I got it from circulation last Friday

Good if you find it in circulation , dealers quoting exorbitant prices.

Cheers

[Isai(Sumitha)]

I got this coin finally ... my niece got this coin from circulation and gave it to me

[Coinsforever]

RBI


Cheers

[dheer]

Great.
Finally the coin is making into circulation. Grab soon else they will become rare 

[Coinsforever]

LOL

Grabbing the coin when it becomes rare is more pleasurable  , rather than possessing it when it is still common 



Cheers

[Abhay]

So that also means that the news of withdrawal of 5 Rupee coins were all false.

Abhay