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| Wolf cry over Amarnath Yatra | | From ecological vandalism to demographic change to hurting economic interests of locals | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | June 9
News Analysis
The secessionists and Islamic fundamentalists of all hue and colour in Kashmir have joined hands to thwart smooth conduct of annual Amarnath Yatra this year. While the imaginary and exaggerated concerns expressed over prolonging of duration of yatra from two months, with much larger number of pilgrims going to perform the same threatening the environment and ecology of the area, has failed to serve the desired purpose to obstruct the pilgrimage getting big boost, with the SASB holding assurances of taking care of the same and at the same time taking several measures to protect the environment, the communal card of concern over alleged conspiracy to change the demographic character of the Muslim majority Kashmir, by settling a large number of non state subject Hindus from other parts of the country in the Baltal area, where 800 kanals of land has been transferred by the government to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board is being played to incite the people to come out in the open to threaten the pilgrimage this year.
The transfer of 800 kanals of forest land in Sindh Forest Division, by the state government to SASB, for creating additional infrastructure and facilities for the Amarnath pilgrims, by setting up temporary pre-fabricated sheds for the halt of the pilgrims and few hundred lavatories for sanitary disposal of human excreta, has snowball into a high level controversy—thanks to the machinations of the secessionists and Islamic fundamentalist communalists, who have raised bogy of a conspiracy to change the Muslim majority character of the area, by eventually permanently settling non state subjects from other parts of the country on the land under control of SASB. Notwithstanding the wolf cry raised in this regard defying all logic and reality, since the sheds to be constructed there as well as lavatories will be for a period of two months or so as the yatra lasts, attempts at exploiting the people in the name of religion and inciting them to oppose the imaginary conspiracy hatched by SASB in connivance with the state government is enough for various sections of the people to come on streets and openly hold threat to the conduct of yatra.
People of district Ganderbal and the business community there have served warning to obstruct the yatra in case the government does not reconsider its decision of transferring the forest land to the SASB. The President Baltal Traders Union Bashir Ahmed Mir announced at Sonamarg, "We are moving from village to village and gathering mass support of locals and business community to force the government to review the decision and in case it fails to do so, people will come out on roads and block the yatra at Kangan". According to Mir more than 16,000 people from different villages of Ganderbal, including Kangan, Margund, Sadrna, Chervan, Gund, Gunwan, Kuller, Neldgade, Shivkhadi and Sonamarg etc are directly or indirectly associated with the movement against construction of huts and lavatories on the yatra route and transfer of land to SASB.
Besides raising imaginary concerns about the move to change demographic character of the area, concern over the SASB move to hit the economic interest of the local traders including ponywalas, pithoos, dhabawalas and those who set up tentage accommodation on the route, has been raised to mobilize public support in favour of their agitation and preparing the people for obstructing the yatra.
According to the General Secretary of the Traders Union Mohammad Saleem, the union has enlisted the support of more than 7000 ponywalas 8000 labourers 1200-1500 shopkeepers from Baltal to Ronga, 400-600 vendors from Ganderbal and Srinagar 400 palkiwalas and at least 2000 tentwalas to come on the streets to obstruct the yatris from performing the yatra, in case the government fails to redress their grievances. They have alleged that the SASB and government were not allowing them to set up shops and tents on the route to the cave. They also alleged that they were being asked to deposit Rs 2000 each as registration fee, besides Rs 200 each for erecting a tent in the area. The alleged move of some non locals of erecting tents in the area for setting up langers and providing rented accommodation to the yatri, is also being resented by the locals.
In the meanwhile the position of opposition National Conference over the issue of transfer of land to the SASB and concern by some elements over damage to environment and ecology is equivocal. While the local MLA from Kangan, who belongs to the NC and who was a minister in Farooq government, has recently come out in support of the SASB and sought to brush aside all concerns over harm to environment and ecology from the yatra, the party President Omer Abdullah has opposed the transfer of forest land to SASB. |
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