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| Anti Amarnath Yatra elements in Kashmir again at it | | | Early Times Political Analyst
Jammu | May 19
The running feud between some elements in Kashmir, hostile to annual Amarnath Yatra and Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) is taking new turn every other day. The anti yatra elements in Kashmir have been finding one or the other fault with the SASB and are always out to raise one or the other controversy to run down the steps taken by the shrine board to promote Hindu pilgrimage in high Himalayas by creating more and more infrastructure and providing facilities to the visiting pilgrims.
Even after the SASB has sought to give rest to the apprehensions expressed by certain sections about the SASB plan to establish "Amarnath Nagar" around the cave shrine and construct a concrete road from Baltal upto the point where route to Amarnath via Pahalgam meets as well as construction of prefabricated huts by the board in the forest areas around Baltal, which is alleged to disturb the ecology and environment of the area, a part of which is habitat of rare wild animals, the SASB is sought to be embroiled in fresh controversies. Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has already denied of having any plans to build a township near the cave shrine and construct a concrete road in the forest area from Baltal to near the cave, by describing the same as impracticable and not feasible at all, characterizing all rumours and misgivings spread in this regard as totally unfounded and out come of imagination.
The latest controversy sought to be raised is over the alleged construction of three hundred lavatories and 22 huts in fragile Nunwan, the base camp of yatra via Pahalgam route. A section of print media in Kashmir has carried the report on its front page about the SASB having constructed the lavatories and huts at Nunwan illegally and expressing the fear that the same will pose a serious threat to the fragile environment of the famous hill resort. According to the report the land on which lavatories and huts have come up was the government land acquired by Pahalgam Development Authority, where construction of any kind is strictly forbidden. The huts and lavatories made of angular iron are reported to have been erected on concrete plinths in the green zone with the land area of 226 kanals.
It is in the light of these apprehensions and misgivings spread about adverse affect to the environment and ecology of fragile forest that the state Governor Gen. S K Sinha. Who is the ex officio Chairman of SASB, has reassured the people at large and particularly those concerned with ecology and environment that SASB has been taking all effective measures to maintain and preserve the healthy environs and ecology of the area, while taking steps to create more infrastructure for the comfort of the pilgrims as well as its moves to promote the yatra.
The Chief Executive Officer of SASB, Dr Arun Kumar had recently in a meeting with the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry assured of every precaution to be taken to not disturb the healthy environment and ecology of the areas around the shrine. Enlisting of economic boon to the locals from the pilgrimage, with prospects of its tremendous fillip bringing economic prosperity to the locals, comparing the same with the economic lot of locals at Katra and near by having undergone a great change with Vaishno Devi yatra getting tremendous fillip, was highly appreciated by the members of the KCCI, who had called on Mr. Kumar.
In the meanwhile those interested in promotion of Amarnath pilgrimage, including traders and various religious organizations term all the objections raised by some elements to the promotion of the Hindu yatra in Kashmir as communally motivated. It is contented that the traditional Hindu pilgrimage in overwhelming Muslim majority Kashmir valley is symbol of secularism and communal brotherhood, with Muslims in the area rendering most of the services to the Hindu pilgrims visiting from various parts of the country. |
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