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| Kishtwar riots hits annual Hawan of KPs in Shopian, steep drop in pilgrim number | | |
Javaid Naikoo
SRINAGAR, Aug 17: At a time when Kishtwar turmoil has given birth to chaos and commotion across the state, the scheduled annual Hawan of migrated Kashmiri Pandits in South Kashmir's Shopian district is badly hit by it, resulting in less attendance of pilgrims to the place.
The three day Annual Hawan, Murti Sthapan and Shrawan Bah in old temple at Devgam area in Shopian district which began today according to the visiting pilgrims is short of by around 50% pilgrims as compared to last year as the ongoing turmoil across the state has disseminated a wrong message among the Kashmiri migrant Pandits living in different parts of India.
Pilgrims said that while as they feel safe and secure in Kashmir as compared to any other part of the world even today also, however as the migrant pilgrims willing to visit this place on this day had to come to this place via Jammu and Chenab Valley and keeping in the recent communal violence that broke out in this area, they are fearful.
Pilgrims also alleged that violent environment prevailing in Jammu division of the state has restricted around 50% pilgrims who are settled in many parts of the country to visit this place on this special occasion. Besides the curfew and strike hit environment of Kashmir has already send shock waves among the Kashmir migrant Pandits living in different parts of the country.
Talking to early times, a migrant Kashmiri Pandit,Maharaja Krishan Kaul said that while as visiting this place annually recovers stress and strain as per his belief associated with this place, however the prevailing environment of chaos and perplexity forces many Kashmiri Pandits settled in different parts of the world to think thousand times before visiting Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the President district Shopian Temples and religious places, Vijay Shankar Lahori, the reconstruction work around the Devgam temple is yet to be completed by the department of tourism despite the repeated assurances from this department to him, resulting in pilgrims visiting this place have to suffer as they lack basic infrastructure within the campus.
He said that tourism department because of some unknown reasons is playing hide and seek with them as the construction and reconstruction work around the campus which has been handed over to them in 2009 is still incomplete and every time, they approach office bearers in this regard, they get assurances which are never fulfilled.
He added that land Mafias who are trying to grab the land around temples at many places in district Shopian including at Bona Batapora, Jamnagri and near deputy commissioner office in Shopian is a major worry for Kashmiri migrant Pandits living in the other states of the country. However after the interference of district administration Shopian in this connection at Bona Batapora and near Deputy Commissioner's office, they are hopeful that land Mafias will stop encroaching further land around religious temples of district Shopian.
V.S Lahori said that though district administration Shopian has done its best to provide clean drinking water, first aid facility and security arrangements to the pilgrims on this occasion, however the road which connects Devgam village with rest of the world is still in shambles and needs macademisation on priority bases so that people visiting this place on this occasion can come and go without any delay and problems.
Notably the construction and reconstruction work going on in the campus which according to the pilgrims is delayed again and again is still going on at snail's pace, resulting in accommodation problems to the pilgrims visiting this place as they cannot find out nearest accommodation to stay during the annual Hawan days in the area. |
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