Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 10: Following the death of a Chennai based tourist on May 7 after being hit by stone-throwing protesters outside Srinagar, the threats of stone pelters targeting this year's annual Shri Amarnath yatra looms large.
The annual Amarnath yatra will commence in the month of June. Though the pilgrims have the option of choosing one route out of the two routes to reach the holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath but both these routes including from Pahalagam and Baltal are vulnerable to the attacks from the stone pelters. However, the pilgrims opting for the Baltal route are more susceptible to such attacks as they have to cover a distance of about 60 kilometers to reach Baltal under the threat of stone wielding mobs. The commencement of Shri Amarnath yatra is approaching nearer but the safety of the pilgrims has become a big challenge after the growing incidents of stone pelting.
Since for reaching the base camps of both the routes, the pilgrims have to pass through Anantnag, which has become a stronghold of stone pelters, the threat perception of stone pelting attacks cannot be ruled out. The pilgrims traveling from Anantnag to Pahalgam could be in dangerous situation only in Anantnag while the pilgrims going towards Baltal could face such threats for several kilometers as the distance between Anantnag and Srinagar is about 60 kilometers.
The stretch from Anantnag to Srinagar has witnessed several stone pelting incidents in the recent past in places like Pampore, Awantipora, Srinagar, Ganderbal and Sonamarg. Except Baltal, incidents of stone pelting are taking place everywhere on the Anantnag-Baltal stretc. Even though both the routes will be well guarded by the security forces but the miscreants could still target the pilgrims. Under such circumstances going on these routes will be quite risky for the pilgrims. |
