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| PDP's anti Amarnath Yatra mindset again exposed, | | Congress submission before PDP intriguing | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | Feb 28
News Analysis
The anti Hindu religious Amarnath Yatra mindset of PDP has once again come to fore with the Cabinet Ministers belonging to the party taking a strong stand in the cabinet meeting held at Jammu yesterday, against allotment of a piece of land at Baltal to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, for setting up huts for the pilgrims. However what is more surprising is the meek submission of the cabinet ministers belonging to the Congress party before the anti Hindu Shrine stance of PDP ministers, whose antipathy to the Amarnath pilgrimage is well known.
The Shrine board that manages the annual pilgrimage to lord Shiva's cave shrine, situated at height of 13,500 feet in South Kashmir, had offered to make the payment of Rs 2.5 crore as the cost of the land, where it proposed to set up prefabricated huts for the lodging of pilgrims undertaking foot journey to the cave shrine on high hills. As the agenda in this regard came up in the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the PDP members said in one voice that the land cannot be given to shrine board on the plea that the same has already been claimed by the forest department and some other parties.
The Forest Minister Qazi Mohammad Afzal was first to oppose the move, followed by Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig raising strong objection to the move. According to the sources Health and Medical Education Minister Mangat Ram Sharma was the only one who argued in favour of the allotment of the land to the SASB. He is reported to have took the plea that about 4 lakh Hindu pilgrims per year from all parts of the country come for performing the holy yatra and setting up of huts at Baltal, which has become an alternative starting point and route for the Amarnath pilgrims, will facilitate the pilgrims and carry a good message for much more number of pilgrims coming to perform the yatra. However in absence of any support from any other minister from his party, Sharma did not press the matter and finally the proposal was rejected.
This meek submission of the Congress ministers before the PDP's traditional anti yatra stance is in contrast to the earlier stand off between the two parties over prolonging the duration of yatra for two months. During the Chief Ministership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, first in 2003 and then again in 2004, the Chief Minister had objected to extension in the duration of yatra for two months, citing security reasons as well as concern for environmental pollution to be caused with yatra period being extended and much larger number of pilgrims coming to perform the same. Still another objection raised then was that the low budget Amarnath pilgrim tourists adversely affect the high budget holiday tourists at Phalgam as well as at Sonamarg and Baltal, with July—August months when yatra is performed being also the peak tourist season. However the Congress ministers as well as the party MLAs had taken a strong united stand in favour of extension of the yatra duration. Ultimately the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had to yield before the strong demand by all sections of Hindu religious leaders and parties as well as the SASB, headed by the State Governor, Gen. S K Sinha. A strong agitation was also launched in Jammu, spearheaded by then floated Amarnath Yatra Action Committee as well as Vishv Hindu Parishad, demanding extension of the yatra duration.
The objection to the allotment of land at Baltal to SASB has come even after the shrine board has given all assurances and guaranty of not disturbing the environment and ecology by taking effective echo friendly measures and arrangements for sanitation of the entire yatra route. |
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