HINDSIGHT ROHIT SINGH RANA Welcome as tourists unwelcome as pilgrims? The scuffle between CRPF and some Sumo drivers has turned the spiritual mood around Sonamarg sour. How well it would have been if such incidents did not take place. The matter started when pilgrims who were harried by the Sumo drivers turned to CRPF for help. The resultant fight between the CRPF and Sumo drivers flared up and protestors who swelled in number, set on fire the CRPF bunker and canteen. Subsequently all along the route of the Yatra at Kangan, Ganderbal ,Gagangir and Sonamarg people took up the fight on behalf of Sumo drivers and pelted stones on the vehicles carrying pilgrims to Sri Amarnath. What should have been the reason that the pilgrims who were harassed by Sumo drivers were forced to seek the help of CRPF? The answer lies patently in the statement of the worried Chief Minister of the State that pony-wallas were overcharging the tourists and fleecing them by not providing the service that was expected of them. Go another few months in past and the same concern was aired by National Conference patriarch Dr. Farooq Abdullah that tourists were sold sub standard articles and fake handicrafts .According to him such elements were bringing a bad name to Kashmir and its culture. Unfortunately this is only a partial side of the sad script being written in Kashmir and it will regrettably have very dangerous fall-outs in the country and outside. The Yatra to Sri Amarnath has not been taken well by a section of Kashmiri politicians mostly separatists and also some mainstream parties as well. The Yatra, according to them is seen as an infringement upon the Kashmiriat and culture which is now sought to be projected as only Muslim by them. Strenuous efforts are under way to undermine the Hindu and Buddhists ethos of Kashmir and its influence on its culture and language. The Central Asian angle is also been projected as if Kashmir was isolated with India in the past and it had only relations with Central Asia. The sizable number of Yatris continuously arriving in Kashmir for Amarnath pilgrimage is being projected as a direct affront to so called Kashmiriat. The Amarnath pilgrim despite spending lakhs of rupees in Kashmir is considered as someone alien Indian who does not fit in their Islamic vision. Sadly, the mainstream politicians of National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party are also responsible for their negative visions about Yatra. They too wanted curtailment of pilgrimage and reduction of its duration. Sometimes environment issues were also raised in favour of curtailing of the Yatra. Even the present Chief Minister loudly said in Parliament that he would not part with even an inch of land for Sri Amarnath Shrine Board. The resultant reaction in Jammu resulted into the Amarnath Agitation which took the unity of the State to brink. With such a closed mind set, not only of terrorists but of mainstream parties has helped a simmering opposition in some sections against the Yatra. Otherwise, how could the situation turn so bad that along the Yatra route the vehicles carrying pilgrims were pelted with stones? Having said so, the fact that tourists are being subjected to unwelcome attitude by overcharging and selling fake articles in not something that can be swept under the dust. If the Chief Minister himself expresses unhappiness over the behavior of pony –wallahs then the malaise is deep rooted. The fact is that the tourist is at the mercy of these monsters out to destroy whatever good is left in Kashmir. This will have grave implications for the tourism of the State because if on one side the government is pro actively seeking to project the Valley as a great tourist destination then it cannot afford to lose the credibility of tourism at the hands of such dubious and opportunistic persons who harass the visitors on many counts. As far as pilgrim tourism is concerned Kashmir will remain the hot spot and centre of pilgrimage because shrines like Sri Amarnath, kheerbhawani etc are enshrined into the conscience of one billion plus people of this country, whether separatists, malcontents or opportunist politicians like it or not. It is a reality which should dawn upon them, sooner the better.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Jul 2013 15:05:35 +0000
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