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| Show down begins, as Hindu bodies start locking horns over Amarnath Yatra | | | early times report
JAMMU, May 16: Irked over the Government's move to stop the Amarnath yatra from proceeding to holy cave on June 4, the Hindu bodies today made it clear that no power on earth can stop yatra from taking place on the traditional Hindu date.
The Hindu bodies including VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and others are committed to start pilgrimage from here on June 3 so that the yatris can perform the darshan in holy cave next day, BD Regional Co-convener, Nand Kishore Misra told reporters here today.
Re-affirming its decision to start the annual Amarnath pilgrimage from June 4, he said no one could stop it from taking the yatra to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
"We will start the annual Amarnath yatra from June 4 coinciding with Jyesht Purnima as per the religious calendar of Hindus," Bajrang Dal Regional Co-convenor, Nand Kishore Mishra told reporters here.
He dared the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and the Jammu and Kashmir Government to stop the Bajrang Dal from starting the annual Amarnath Yatra from June 4.
"Anybody who tries to stop us will have to face the consequences," Mishra said, adding that this will have repercussions all over the country.
Lashing out at the SASB for curtailing the yatra to 39 days this year, he said the yatra period in 2009 was 60 days, which was reduced to 55 days in 2010.
In 2011, the yatra period was further reduced to 45 days, Mishra said.
Angry over curtailment of the annual pilgrimage, the Bajrang Dal said it would stage a protest in Jammu on May 18 by taking out two wheeler rallies.
Several organizations including ABVP, Shiv Sena led by Rajesh Kesri, Ram Sena, Rashtrawadi Shiv Sena (RSS) and BJYM would take part in the protest, Mishra said.
The SASB had announced the annual pigrimage would start from June 25 and Government yesterday announced that it will stop the yatra from darshan in holy cave on June 4. The announcement evoked a widespread criticism.
BJP while strongly reacting to administration's move said "provocation and vengeance cannot be the virtue of any democratically elected Government". State BJP chief spokesperson and National Executive Member Dr. Jitendra Singh while expressing serious worry and concern over the manner in which the National Conference-led government in the state appears to be vitiating the atmosphere and instigating unrest on the eve of Amarnath Yatra by holding out threats of police action against Amarnath Yatra pilgrims and seeking the help of Punjab Police and para-military forces to intimidate them at entry points in Lakhanpur and other places.
Dr. Jitendra Singh referred to Nitish Sen Committee report of 1996 and the subsequent General Mukherjee report, which clearly stated that the duration of Yatra was primarily a prerogative of religious leaders and it was Governments responsibility to arrange security as per the requirements of Yatra period and number of pilgrims.
Dr. Jitendra Singh reminded that Nitish Sen Committee was constituted following a tragedy claiming over 200 lives and the essence of Nitish Sen observations was to provide security to pilgrims for their protection and safety, and not for causing insecurity to them by threatening with risk to life in the hands of police and para-military agencies.
Referring to Shrine Board Act of 2000 which inspired constituting of Shrine Board in 2001, Dr. Jitendra Singh explained that the essence of an independent board with Governor as its Chairman was to keep it above any interference from political leadership of the ruling party and appealed to the Governor to immediately intervene before the situation takes an ugly turn.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also expressed disappointment over the role played by the Shrine Board Sub Committee which had, instead of taking a clear stand, tried to be evasive on the issue which is evident from the fact that on page no. 18 of its recent report, one after the other in three different paragraphs, three different dates namely June 25, June 17 and June 4 have been mentioned for possible commencement of the yatra.
Dr. Jitendra Singh took a serious note of the opinion in certain quarters that the NC-led government was deliberately influencing the Shrine Board to instigate trouble in Jammu region in the name of yatra duration in a bid to the appease the separatist constituency in Kashmir valley as a part of NC's competitive policies with PDP.
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