The Hindu Amarnath Yatra has become a militarized and communal lines in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attained power in India and after Modi’s Indian government violated international laws by militarily and undemocratically snatched Articles 370 and 35A of Indian Constitution in the territory.
Since the rise of Hindutva BJP/RSS politics in India, the numbers of Indian Yatris to Amarnath Cave in south Kashmir Islamabad district has rapidly increased on communal basis and the Kashmiris have to deal with increased militarization during the period of Yatra.
It brings more misery to the Kashmiri people in Kashmir valley in the form of constant checking and frisking by huge Indian forces.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ignoring threats that the huge Amarnath Yatra poses to IIOJK’s fragile environment and his decision to allow lakhs of Hindus to visit the Amarnath Yatra is an environmental disaster in the making in IIOJK. The Amernath Yatra has become a good source of corruption and making money in the name of expenditure to the Indian army, police and their agencies for so-called security.
Modi must de-militarise Amarnath Yatra, reduce the number of Indian Hindu temple Yatris and address environmental concerns for a better and safer common Yatra.
As many as nearly one lakh additional troops and paramilitary forces have been deployed in the occupied valley. Drone cameras and latest technology hover over the Yatri routes. The 43-day Yatra was now extended into a 62 days yatra that starts on July 1 and ends on August 31.—KMS
