J K News Today Commentary
Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday reviewed preparations for Amarnath yatra with clear directions to all the concerned that the pilgrimage should be comfortable for pilgrims in every respect from their landing in Jammu and Kashmir to the cave shrine . Amarnath pilgrimage is a journey of faith which drives the devotees to scale mountains and brave vagaries of weather. This year, the pilgrimage has assumed extraordinary significance.
It has to reive the faith of the international community , which changed its view about Kashmir after the grand conclusion of G20 meet on tourism in Srinagar last month . Ans the pilgrimage will commence on July 1- just five weeks after the conclusion of the G20 meet in the Valley .
The successful conclusion of G 20 in Kashmir has opened vistas of new challenges and opportunities for the government and the people of Kashmir . Amarnath pilgrimage that will last for 62 days – July 1 to August 31st- is a grand opportunity to reinforce the message delivered by G 20 , Kashmir is a perfect and peaceful place to visit , and undertake all sorts of journeys – whether that of faith in the investment , in terms of opening Kashmir to tourists from all across the world as also it as an investment destination – or to undertake religious pilgrimage .
G 20 meet in Srinagar has sent multi-layered messages to the nations of the grouping and beyond that the old notions about Kashmir needed to be dismissed in favour of the new realities that have opened chapters of peace and pleasure in the Valley . This , ironically, was also a message to the Indians in other parts of the country , that Kashmir is safe for everything . The context of safety is on many scales, but the primary focus is on two ideas – ( a) Kashmir is safe as the government has removed all elements of disturbances and troubles , exported to the place from Pakistan , ( b) the people have embraced these initiatives of the government that ensure safety and comfort of the visitors from cities to the forbidding Himalayan heights .
This context was given extra impetus by the Home Minister at his meeting in New Delhi, which was participated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha whose tireless efforts in the past three years have brought changes on the physical landscape and injected a new sense of confidence in Kashmir . The Home Minister listed all the priorities for making the yatra smooth and comfortable for the pilgrims.
Significantly , he made it a point to mention in the course of the meeting that , “it is the priority of the Modi government that Amarnath pilgrims should have comfortable darshan and should not face any difficulty. .” He aligned the comfort of the pilgrims as a priority in the scheme of things of Prime Minister Narendra Modi- there is a reason for it. Prime Minister Modi understands nuances of everything in Kashmir , the place, he promised would be placed on the world tourist map , and in regard to Amarnath pilgrimage – it is a journey that is based on the faith of the natives and the pilgrims- a perfect example of the communal harmony .
Home Minister directed to make adequate security arrangements on the entire route of Shri Amarnath Yatra. He also stressed on providing smooth arrangements on the route from the airport and railway station to the yatra base camp. He directed to provide air service from Srinagar and Jammu at night for the convenience of the pilgrims. That meant , in realistic terms that Amit Shah knew what the situation and challenges were , as also how these can be converted into opportunities to further integrate the thought of oneness of the nation .
When Amit Shah directed to ensure adequate stock of oxygen cylinders and their refilling, he showed that how concerned he was about the security and safety of the pilgrims . He also asked for “availability of additional teams of doctors. Home Minister also directed for adequate number of medical beds and deployment of ambulances and helicopters to meet any medical emergency. Shri Shah gave instructions to make proper arrangements for all necessary facilities for Amarnath Yatris, including travel, stay, electricity, water, communication and health. He directed to ensure better communication system on the yatra route and deployment of machines to immediately open route in case of a landslide.”
This is a message that the government cares for everyone in equal measure, whether they are high-profile delegates representing the richest economies of the world , or they are common citizens of the country . It is a message of equality and improvement of the situation at every step of journeys to Kashmir , today and tomorrow .
