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| ‘Withdraw land, scrap SASB’ | | Mufti toughens posture | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | June 21
According careful respect to the Amarnath pilgrimage, the former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today adopted a tough posture asking the government to withdraw order offering of land for the yatra purpose and consider scrapping of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.
He said that situation arising out of the present controversy is getting polarized by the day and as a minimum measure the government should immediately withdraw order of land allotment to the Shrine Board. He also said that the legislature should reconsider the 2000 legislation as there is no need for a separate body for conducting yatra which is already heavily supported by the state government.
In his hard hitting statement, Mufti used his words carefully to accord due respect to the shrine and the pilgrimage. Commenting on statements of Board officials on various occastions, the former Chief Minister said, “holy pilgrimage should not be connected with commercial issues”.
In a statement issued here, "I am pained at the turn of events and would advise caution to all the stake holders in State`s ecology, environment and cultural identity as also the Government and the SASB”.
Mufti said the controversy over diversion of land to SASB has drawn Kashmir to an unprecedented and dangerous polarization over a matter of faith and a pilgrimage that has been conducted historically by the people of Kashmir and the State Government with distinction and care. He said it would be dangerous to allow the situation to drift any further. "As a minimum required action, the State Government should forthwith cancel the order diverting land for use by the SASB", he added.
Mufti said "we also need to have a re-look at the desirability of having a separate Board for Amar Nath Yatra which has generated controversies more than the amenities for the Yatries. The State legislature, he said, should have a re-look at the legislation that led to the creation of SASB in 2000.
The PDP patron said he had from the very beginning advised Shri Amar Nath Shrine Board not to make this holy pilgrimage look like part of any agenda and instead allow it to flourish as it had been on the good will, hospitality and accommodation of the local population.
The idea of having an isolated exclusive institution for the conduct of Yatra, Sayeed said was from the beginning, fraught with exploitable components. It was unimaginative, he said to have culled management of this important pilgrimage out of the social landscape and government authority even though most of the facilities are still provided by the State Government. The revenue claimed to have been earned by the board and invested for the Yatries benefit could in no way be a solace to the people of the State who had seen this as a people's pilgrimage. It is ridiculous, he observed, to measure the event in commercial terms as has of late been projected. The Yatra is too holy to be connected to any material gains, he added, and said it should continue to be handled exclusively by the society and the government.
Sayeed said the transfer of land to SASB has evoked serious apprehensions and outrage across all sections of public opinion in Kashmir and its implications can no longer be ignored. It is therefore time, he said, that the State Government reviews the whole situation with an open mind and, to begin with, immediately cancel the land diversion order so that a new strategy is devised in an atmosphere free from fear, apprehension and suspicion to ensure smooth and comfortable Yatra every year. |
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