This year  6.32 lac yatris paid obeisance to Lord Shiva in the cave shrine of Shri Amarnathji. There has been a phenomenal    rise   in the number of yatris  for various reasons. The improved infrastructure coupled with the enormous support  of the locals  could be listed as  a major factor for the increase. The increased volume of the pilgrimage has, naturally,  brought to the fore  some serious issues which need to be addressed in the larger interests  of the Yatra and ecology of the State. This year   more than hundred pilgrims lost their lives on health considerations. So much so, the Supreme Court was  on its own forced to intervene  and issued notices to the  concerned  to explain the reasons for lack of proper medical and other facilities which caused  such deaths. The Civil Society members in the Valley have  also raised a concern on various issues related to the  increasing number of yatris as the years go by. The concern of the Apex Court is undoubtedly  genuine and timely.  Unfortunately, some in the Valley  see  in it an opportunity to resurrect the ghost of 2008, when the  Amarnath land row was created  against the Yatra and the whole State was brought to the brim of a communal explosion.  According to them, the Yatra has seriously affected  ecology of the Valley and destroyed the  environment. So, they say that the number of pilgrims  and the period of Yatra should be drastically curtailed.
To  some bleeding hearts  in  Kashmir the increase in volume of  yatra and elongation of  yatra period is  not out of religious considerations but by way of an reaction “ precipitated by the ubiquitous  Sangh Pariwar  to wage Dharamydh  on  Kashmir.”  Indeed, it is a farfetched argument.  Nobody can put  his /her life to the  risk  only on a reaction, particularly when we witness larger number of women, children  and middle aged men among the yatris. We will have to see the matter in a wide perspective and find  an explanation for the ever burgeoning religious processions to the places held sacred by the followers of different  faiths. Rise   of religious fundamentalism and consequent propounding of  ‘war on terror ‘ theory may have  taken better part of some of  the devotee’s  inclinations  and replaced   spiritualism  with the religiosity. Though, for the most of them core religious commitment remains there. Attitude of various extremist religious groups across the world and  the governments in the West and, particularly, the  USA  have largely contributed to the rise of religiosity  - over  emphasizing   religious denomination  without   caring  too much  for  its spiritual aspect. Otherwise  how can one explain the young educated  and westernized  professional Muslim  females in the US and other western countries  taking to Hijab and Muslim  males   flaunting the religious  denominations, almost with vengeance.  We see   the young forming a substantial  component of the  precessions which lead to  the various religious place in India like  Shirdi, Ajmeer  and Vaishnovdevi, and elsewhere in the world. Added to it, is the relative economic prosperity the middle class experiences universally. That is, probably, one of the reasons why one sees a great rush to queue up for a ticket to perform Haj   which in not so  distant past used to be a luxury  of  only a few in the Valley, though the  urge to perform this pious religious  duty was always there in the heart of a devout. Therefore,  any increase in the numbers of Amarnath yatris has to seen in this  context and certainly not as a  campaign   for  a ’Dharamyudh‘ in Kashmir.  Like the increase in  religious processions to the places of worship  of different  faiths globally,  growth in volume of Amarnath Yatra is not “  pure communal aggression  bereft of religious piety ” as some of the commentators would  like  to describe it.
Ecological and environmental issues  are serious in nature and every citizen  must be concerned with. However, it can’t be selective   - certainly shouldn’t be perceived as such. The environmentalist in Kashmir would have done good to their credibility  had they shown same amount of zeal  to stop plundering of the green gold in the Valley. We have not heard them raise a murmur when the  lush green forests were  tuned into barren tracts of land  to be usurped by anyone who could lay his hands on. They would sound authentic  had they   lifted their little finger when the majestic royal Chinar  and the protected  walnut trees were mercilessly felled  in heaps and appropriated by the locals . They did not   speak   a word   to save  Dal and other water bodies from being polluted   when   palatial buildings were being constructed    by the locals on their banks. There was  a criminal silence when the   saffron land was  turned into  automobile work shops, with toxic petroleum waste spilling all over degrading the whole environment . The process goes on unabated.
 Seen thus,  people are justified in asking questions why such a concern is voiced only  on the commencement   of the annual Amarnath yatra. Is this the reflection of a genuine concern or, in it, there is something more than meets the eye. Judging these environmentalists   by their political activities latter seems to be the case. We must very humbly tell these Civil Society members that  by raking up  such  controversy they are doing no good to the cause of Kashmir, Kashmiryat and the pluralistic ethos of the State—certainly not to the cause they seem to espouse. Issues of ecology and environment are too serious to be politicized to polarise the Kashmir society. Let a holistic and sustained  view be taken  in this regard, so that  a concerted effort is launched  by    all the stake holders to address them. If it means regulation and better management of the yatra it must be done, irrespective of any reaction it may   evoke in  the country. Undoubtedly, the managers of the Yatra have to do a lot of explaining on various counts -  protection of  environment and life of a pilgrim are included therein. 

(B L Saraf is former Principal  District & Sessions Judge, He can be reached at bushanlalsaraf @gmail. Com)

Lastupdate on : Thu, 9 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 9 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST