‘Amarnath yatra takes place with their support’: J&K governor lauds role of Muslims

“The security for the yatra is our responsibility and we are taking care of it. But police or Army do not conduct the yatra. For many years, the Amarnath Yatra is being conducted by the people of Kashmir, especially our Muslim brothers. The yatra takes place with their support,” Malik told reporters here.

The 46-day annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Lord Shiva in south Kashmir Himalayas will commence on Monday and conclude on August 15. “If all of us work together, it will be successful,” Malik added.

The statement comes days after Home Minister Amit Shah visited the state and reviewed the security arrangements for the annual pilgrimage in the Himalayas. Shah laid emphasis on securing the twin routes to the Himalayan cave shrine and preparations to deal with “any natural calamity”.

The 46-day annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Lord Shiva in south Kashmir Himalayas will commence on Monday.

To ensure a smooth passage of the yatra convoys on the national highway, extra security measures have been put in place by the government, with state police, Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and the army providing protection. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags have been affixed in all the vehicles so as to have real-time information about their position.

The first batch of 2,234 Amarnath pilgrims comprising men, women, children and sadhus left for the valley from Jammu Sunday. The pilgrims will travel to the holy shrine of Amarnath located 3,888 Mts above sea level in the Himalayas beginning Monday morning.

Meanwhile, talking about the situation in the Valley and the Centre’s Kashmir policy under Shah, the governor added that it would be successful. “I am not seeing anything like that yet, but Amit Shah’s leadership is a very successful leadership and whatever work he has undertaken, he has been successful in it,” he said.