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| Shrine Board creating difficulties for state government | | Amarnath Yatra | | NEHA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 31: In 2008, it was the Congress-led coalition government in the state that vitiated the whole Amarnath Yatra by making an issue out of a non-issue under pressure from the regressive forces in Kashmir: Diversion of a small piece of land at Baltal (Kashmir) to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) on a temporary basis for creating some additional facilities for the pilgrims during the pilgrimage period. But Governor S K Sinha put his foot down and defended all of the actions taken by the SASB, including the decisions to strengthen the Shrine Board and conduct the yatra for two months. In other words, Sinha respected the sentiments of the devotees of Lord Shiva. But that has become now a story of the past. The SASB is there but it is headed by someone who never wanted to make the SASB a strong institution or who wanted the state government to conduct the yatra. In fact, it is headed by someone who has not only weakened the SASB but also created problem for the state government at a time when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has come to believe that the extremists might disrupt peace in Kashmir.
It would not be out of place to mention here that the present Governor Narinder Nath Vohra, who also happens to be the chairman of the SASB, has been trying to undo all that his predecessor did to make the Amarnath Yatra a smooth affair taking into consideration the sentiments involved. Just look at the operative part of the D.O. letter that Vohra wrote to the state government on June 29, 2008 and see for yourself his attitude towards what his predecessor had done. The operative part of the said controversial letter had said: “In view of the State Government’s firm commitment that the requirements and interests of the yatris will be fully ensured and protected, the SASB does not need to pursue its earlier request for forest land being diverted for creating the required temporary facilities for the yatris by the Board.”
The operative part of the Governor’s letter clearly had clearly indicated four things. One was that Governor Vohra and the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had made up their mind to take back from the Shrine Board the Baltal land and deprive the Shrine Board of its right to make arrangements for the yatra as early as on June 26, 2008. Vohra took over as the State Governor on June 25, 2008. The other was the behind-the-scene-activities of the Union Government, which resulted in the form of the Governor’s D.O. letter. It is said that the then National Security Advisor, M.K. Narayanan, had then also played a significant role. The third was that the parties like the NC and the PDP had lobbied in New Delhi, used their connections at right places and persuaded the South and North Blocks to ask Vohra to hand over the control of the Baltal land to the State Government, coupled with a warning that not to endorse their suggestion would be only to put the Kashmir Valley on fire and create a situation leading to bloodshed. And, the fourth was that Vohra had violated the Shrine Board Act by taking the decision unilaterally. The Shrine Board Act had clearly laid down that the chairman of the Shrine Board could not act on his own and that it was the Shrine Board that alone had the power to take any decision concerning arrangements for the pilgrimage and facilities for the pilgrims.
The attitude of the chairman of the SASB has not undergone any change. He continues to function in a manner that has the potential of creating additional difficulties for the State Government. Take, for example, his failure to take into confidence the Shri Amarnath Yatri Niyas and similar other religious organizations before taking decision on the duration of Amarnath Yatra. It is this failure that has created a sort of anger across the country with the several Hindu organizations holding a threat that they would see to it that yatra is started on June 15, which according to them is an auspicious day. Vohra wants the yatra to commence on June 29.
Why should Vohra make it a prestige issue? There is still time for him to take on board those demanding commencement of Yatra on June 15. It’s a question of just 14 days, not a big issue. But it would surely become a big issue and culminate in a major conflict if the SASB continues to stick to its stand. One can only hope and pray that good sense would finally prevail and the SASB and the concerned organizations reach an amicable settlement before the D Day. The ball is in the court of Vohra. A positive and accommodating gesture on his part would ensure peace in Jammu and a non-accommodating attitude on his part would create serious law and order problem for the already rather frightened state government. |
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