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| Amarnath pilgrimage held in tug of war | | SASB to register yatries for 45 days; BAYN adamant for 60 days' pilgrimage vBJP warns of serious consequences on meddling with affair | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 9: Despite Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and Baba Amarnath Yatra Niyas putting up at loggerheads over the period of the yatra, the weather gods however are smiling with full zeal giving welcome invitation to yatries.
SASB is hence opening its registration process from tomorrow while BAYN has already taken a lead two days ago with announcement of its online registration at its VHP headquarters at Shakti Ashram.
As per the official pronouncement, the pilgrimage will be held between June 29 and Aug 13 whereas the Niyas is holding on its Jaysth Purnima's calendar having announced on the yatra to commence from June 15 only.
This divergent view is generating great confusion among the local masses whears the pilgrims coming from outside state too are likely to get misled on this account.
The annual summer pilgrimage to the 13,500-ft high Himalayan cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva in south Kashmir usually faces uncertainties because of the unpredictable weather conditions and security concerns.
Howver the present clear weather in the valley and the mountains is seen as a positive sign.
'The registration for the yatra will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) which will mark the start the process for the pilgrimage,' R.K. Goyal, chief executive officer of the shrine board, said Monday.
The registration is open online as well as across the 149 branches of various banks across the country.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), have been pressing for a minimum duration of two months for the pilgrimage to enable more pilgrims to visit the shrine.
The Jammu and Kashmir unit chief of the VHP, Rama Kant Dubey, told reporters that any 'curtailment in the duration of the pilgrimage would be met with severe resistance.'
'We will start our yatra on June 15, let anyone dare to stop it,' Dubey said.
He, however, added that it was the duty of the state government to provide facilities and security to the pilgrims.
According to the Hindu calendar, Ashaad Purnima is the most auspicious day to begin the Amarnath pilgrimage and Shravan Purnima to pray at the shrine.
Justice (retired) G.D. Sharma, a shrine board member, however, defended the decision to conduct the pilgrimage for 46 days this year.
Last year, more than 450,000 pilgrims visited the Amarnath shrine to worship a stalagmite of snow inside the cave that is believed to be an embodiment of the deity.
There are two treks leading to the shrine from Srinagar - the shorter but steeper Baltal-Sangam route, 110 km north of Srinagar, and the 46-km trek from Pahalgam, 100 km to the south of Srinagar.
'Both the routes are covered by snow and it would take a minimum of eight weeks to clear the snow and make the trails trek-worthy,' Goyal said, adding that the work has started.
With so much of snow this year, no one has even gone close to the cave and seen whether stalagmite 'Shivalinga' has been formed.
Meanwhile BJP state chief spokesperson & national executive member Jitendra Singh has warned that for any unwarranted conflict in the name of ensuing Amarnath Yatra the sole responsibility will lie on Governor and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) constituted by him.
He said that right from beginning the BJP has been urging the Governor to take "Baba Amarnath and Buda Amarnath (BABA) Yatri Niyas" into confidence in deciding the timing, duration and conduct of Amarnath Yatra but the authorities have shown total disregard for the sentiments of people and arbitrarily curtailed the Yatra period only to appease the diktats of separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Expressing worry over the impending confrontation between BABA Yatri Niyas and SASB, Dr. Jitendra Singh refuted one by one each and every argument forwarded by the government to curtail the period of Yatra.
Firstly, Jitendra Singh refuted the argument of environment pollution put forward by Geelani and retorted if Geelani was really honest about the valley's environment then he should also demand curtaliment in the number of tourists visiting Kashmir.
Secondly, taking on the SASB, Singh said that as a part of religious tradition, the Amarnath Yatra has to start on Jyestha Purnima and end on Raksha Bandhan, and no state authority has the prerogative to tamper with these dates just as no authority can alter the dates Eid or Ramzan.
Thirdly, Singh also mocked the weather theory put forward by Governor's board and said the metro forecasts are always made in phases and it is rediculous to say that weather will be bad on June 15 but good on June 28. Moreover, he argued that in case of sudden worsening of weather, the Yatra can also be temporarily suspended as has been the practice in past.
Singh appealed to state authorities and SASB to avoid the path of collision which could disturb peace in the region. |
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