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| Jammu wins first phase, land set aside | | Govt-Samiti stamp consensus past mindnight, 800 kanals of land put on SASB disposal, agitation being called off today | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Aug 30
The resilient and tolerant Jammu region won the first phase of its battle for assertion late tonight after Government agreed to set aside 800 kanals of land exclusively for the Shri Amarnath Yatra Shrine Board to be used for raising facilities for the pilgrims three months every year. The two month long agitation, spearheaded by Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti and supported by more than 70 other organizations is all set to be called off on Sunday afternoon after rally being organized by the Samiti.
A decision on the ‘compromise formula’ was reached at the end of an extended fourth round of meeting between the Governor’s panel and that of Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti. The panels were still engaged in the technicalities to finalize the peace pact even as sources confirmed that consensus has been arrived at. An official announcement was yet be made till the time of going to the press.
Earlier, in a day of high voltage drama, mess and confusion the final outcome of the crucial fourth round of talks between four-member panel of the Governor headed by his Advisor Dr SS Bloeria and the four-member panel of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti clearly appeared to be headed for some common ground but an enigmatic suspicion continued to prevail on the result till past this midnight.
Past midnight dialogue between both parties was on an interval as members of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti left the venue for a round of consultation with their convener Leela Karan Sharma at his residence. Sharma was not a part of direct consultation process. The dialogue was likely to resume by around 2AM but the officials handling the media affairs at Government Circuit House at Canal Road were non committal whether final consensus (if at all reached) can be announced announced later tonight. The dialogue has started at 9:30 PM after several delays in the day.
“There is no certainty of any announcement…it all now depends on the Samiti members as when they return to resume the talks”, Secretary Information KB Jandial said. Jandial’s was the only official word from the Government side while there was not indication –positive or negative –from the Samiti members who were yet to return the venue of talks.
Just ahead of the interval when Samiti members broke out for a consultation with their convener, the Government had made an elaborate arrangement for a press conference. At the venue, eight chairs had been placed which indicated that both parties have reached some conclusion and it is going to be a joint press conference. However, amidst all this suddenly the positive vibes started disappearing. Government’s spokesman KB Jandial said nothing can be predicted till both sides come out and make an announcement. When asked about eight chairs at the press conference venue, Jandial said, “we are confident of a positive development”.
In the middle of all these “positive developments”, the members of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti –left the venue for consultation with Leela Karan Sharma. None of the Samiti members was ready to speak on the issue or explain on the points of differences which were stretching on the dialogue and forcing them to have more consultations.
Earlier in the day the dialogue appeared to headed for an unceremonious breakdown as the Samiti convener Leela Karan Sharma said that the Government was taking the Samiti leadership for granted. At around 2 PM, Sharma said that media reports are suggesting beginning of dialogue at 4PM but “we are yet to get any official invitation from the government”.
It was a day of hard posturing from the Samiti, which said that there is no question of settling down on anything less than the land. “Any peace formula should be clear that the the proposed formula should include provisions exclusive control of the land with the shrine board during the yatra”.
"The transfer of land to the board should be complete during the yatra. The restoration of the land that was taken away by the Government's order should be done," Narindra Singh, spokesperson for the Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti told reporters here in the backdrop of reports that a formula was ready for resolving the issue.
He said there has been no communication from the Government to the Samiti which was waiting for the fourth round of talks.
He also took strong note of "unnecessary interference" by some Kashmir centric politicians including PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, NC president Omar Abdullah and Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, adding that they have no moral right to talk over Amarnath land issue. "Centre should not buckle under the pressure of PDP and separatist leaders and there would be no compromise on our core issue which is restoration of land to Shrine Board," he maintained, adding that Hindus would not accept and tolerate any attempt to sabotage autonomous character of the Shrine Board.
He maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and the Amarnath Yatra is not restricted to the State but the pilgrims from all over the world are coming for this pilgrimage every year and the Yatra is a 5000 years old tradition and its reference has been made in the holy books like Rajtragani etc of the Hindus as well as in historical books of Kashmir history and this historical fact cannot be undone by mere utterances of few Kashmir separatists. |
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