What was once a quiet pilgrimage has become a political and security issue in the hills of Kashmir. Rejecting the government’s offer to allow pilgrims to head for the holy Amarnath cave after July 15, some 125 yatris today threatened to start a 40-km trek through the unprotected Pahalgam route, where they would be easy targets for the militants. They even turned down a revised offer to drive them through the Baltal area in Sonmarg. As an anxious administration weighed its options, the mess was perhaps inevitable. The yatra has been restricted to a month’s duration, largely for security reasons. When the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board sought to extend it by an extra month, the request was turned down. The Governor, Lt-Gen (retired) S K Sinha, then lashed out at at government, accusing it of “restricting religious tourism”. The Congress Party joined in, as four of its ministers in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led coalition resigned. They ignored one simple issue, an aide to Mufti told The Indian Express. The security on the Pahalgam and Baltal routes involves five battalions on the army, five of BSF, six of CRPF, 1,000 J&K policemen, 45 deputy superintendents of police and 16 Jammu police companies. Given this logistical nightmare, the state feels it cannot possibly spare more resources to extend the yatra. A compromise was hammered out to resolve the original crisis, with the yatra being stretched to 45 days instead of the two months originally demanded. But the BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad have jumped in to fan the issue that Congress first raised. Yesterday, VHP leader Praveen Togadia told reporters in Kolkata: "We are determined to continue the yatra for two months irrespective of the decision of the state government’’. He even accused Mufti of "acting at the behest of the jihadis" while the BJP has called him "anti-Hindu". Said Mufti’s aide: "We are not against the extension of the yatra. We are saying that it is impossible for us to provide security to pilgrims, if the yatra is extended by one more month." The trouble is that the debate has actually heightened the threat to the yatra, which has been attacked before. ‘‘We had wanted it to be a low-profile affair becuase it lowers the threat perception,’’ a senior police officer said. There seemed no chance of that yesterday as defiant yatris dug in their heels and the sadhus among them even refused to listen to head priest, Mahant Dipendra Giri. ‘‘I appeal to sadhus to keep in view the prevailing scenario and not insist on taking the pilgrimage to cave today," he said amid chanting of hymns. "No security has been deployed at the moment." The sadhus, however, said they were determined to press ahead with their yatra. Meanwhile, trying to sound conciliatory, Gen Sinha said: ‘‘Let us pray for a safe yatra.’’
