Fear haunts J-K pilgrims’ progress

Bhajans in the name of Lord Shiva resonate in the valleys of Chandanwari as the first batch of pilgrims amble across the giant glacier for t...

Bhajans in the name of Lord Shiva resonate in the valleys of Chandanwari as the first batch of pilgrims amble across the giant glacier for the trek to Amarnath cave. ‘‘Bum bum bhole nath, Jai hou, bole barfani baba,’’ sings a group of sadhus walking barefoot, marking a risky and torturous trek to the shrine on the Pir Panjal range at an altitude of 13,000 feet.

But more than the tough trek, the apprehension of a militant attack is playing on the minds of pilgrims and security agencies guarding the yatra. Last year, militants attacked the Nunwan base camp near Pahalgam, killing six pilgrims.

Even as security agencies have claimed that elaborate arrangements have been made, they admit privately that there’s no way to prevent suicide attacks. The big group of militants, which fled from Hill Kaka, spread across the south Kashmir jungles from Pahalgam to Shopian. ‘‘There is big group of militants. There are around 30-40 of them who have sneaked into the Valley and they can pose a serious security threat,’’ says Kashmir IGP K. Rajendra.

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The Army has pressed four battalions in the area to prevent militant movement. The BSF and the CRPF have also deputed four battalions each from Pahalgam to the holy caves besides heavy contingent from the J-K police and the ITBP who are deployed to provide security. ‘‘We have our fingers crossed. Two people can wreak havoc on all the security grid. The yatris are soft targets,’’ says an Army officer, requesting anonymity.

The pilgrims too are skeptical about their security although they put up a brave front. ‘‘Our devotion to the Lord will save us from danger,’’ says Sunil Kumar, a physically challenged pilgrim from Kolkata, who had walked on crutches from Pahalgam to Chandanwari for seven consecutive hours.

The police said that Kumar, a resident of Turbhe MIDC in Navi Mumbai, was driving his concrete mixer truck when it collided with an SUV.

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