Governor Satya Pal Malik Thursday said that the annual Amarnath pilgrimage is the symbol of Kashmiriyat and it’s the people of Kashmir who make it a grand success.
“The question about the yatra security is being frequentlyasked to me. Let me clarify today that it’s the people of Kashmir who have beenmaking the annual pilgrimage a success, not the security cover,” Malik toldreporters on the sidelines of an investiture ceremony at SKICC on the banks ofDal Lake here.
“Amarnath yatra is the symbol of Kashmiriyat since past manydecades.”
Malik distributed presidential and police medals to awardeesand appealed the people of Kashmir to provide full support and cooperation tothe pilgrims as usual.
“I am happy that the Hurriyat too has stated that there wasno threat to Amarnath yatra and it would be peaceful,” the Governor said.
Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani said in a recentstatement that the Hindu pilgrimage faced no threat from the people ofMuslim-majority Kashmir.
Malik said the job of the administration was to provide afoolproof security cover to the pilgrimage.
“But I reiterate that yatra doesn’t become a success and apeaceful event by ensuring security but with a local support,” Governor Maliksaid.
Asked if his administration had issued any direction toagencies involved in the security for the pilgrimage to cooperate with thelocals at every level, Malik said: “At every point, security people will andare already cooperating with the locals for making Amarnath yatra a peacefulevent.”
“There is a better coordination between security agenciesand locals.”
The annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine ofAmarnath begins July 1 from both routes—Chandanwari in Pahalgam area of southKashmir’s Anantnag district and Baltal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
According to security experts, there will be a multi-layersecurity grid in place and aerial monitoring of pilgrims will also beundertaken.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is arriving on June 30 toundertake the pilgrimage and have a glimpse of the holy lingum at the shrine ofAmarnath.
Recently, Governor’s advisor on security affairs, K VijayKumar, stated that attacks on security forces carried out by militants in thepast would guide fine-tuning the security cover for smooth conduct of thepilgrimage.