Avtar Bhat
-Excelsior/ Rakesh
JAMMU, July 11: After remaining suspended for three consecutive days due to mob violence in Kashmir valley following the killing of dreaded terrorist and Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in Kokernag area of South Kashmir district of Anantnag on July 8, the Amarnath yatra was resumed from here this evening with 2397 pilgrims leaving for holy cave amid tight security.
According to an official spokesman, all the stranded yatris who had the darshan date of July 10, 11 and 12 were allowed to leave for holy cave today. The yatris had crossed Ramban when last reports came in.
The authorities have made tight security arrangements for these yatris and they are being escorted by a high contingent of security forces upto the two base camps.
The yatra was suspended from the evening of July 8 soon after the violence sparked in Kashmir valley following the killing of Burhan Wani and his two accomplices in an encounter with security forces.
The stranded yatris at Jammu today, however, urged the administration not to stop the yatra for more time and make arrangements for their security.
The yatris left the holy cave amid sloganeering of “Bum Bum Bholay and Har Har Mahadev’’. The yatris, who were in high spirits, said that they are not scared of any thing as Lord Shiva is there to take care of them. They urged the authorities not to suspend the yatra as they are ready to leave for holy cave to ensure continuity of pilgrimage.
Meanwhile, all the pilgrims who had returned from holy cave after performing darshan and were stranded at Baltal and Pahalgam for last three days left for Jammu late last night. All these pilgrims reached here today. They will leave for their home States through Railways and other mode of the transport and the authorities have made special arrangements for them in this regard.
Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal , Tariq Hussian Ganai said that the administration had made proper arrangements for about 25,000 stranded pilgrims at Baltal and Sonamarg to leave for Jammu.
“We arranged 1,700 vehicles for these pilgrims for their return to Jammu. All the vehicles left Baltal straight for Jammu and there was no halt at Srinagar’’, he added.
Besides, 2000 stranded yatris at Pahalgam also left for Jammu late last night under tight security and they too reached here this morning.
In order to regulate the evacuation of yatris from different parts of the country stranded at various places and on National Highway as also those who were evacuated from Baltal and Pahalgam, Senior Superintendent of Police Railways Jammu, Rajinder Gupta has been nominated as Nodal Officer on behalf of the Divisional Administration who will be responsible for regularly managing the smooth eviction of the yatris from Railway Station Jammu in close coordination with Railway authorities.
Besides, to maintain a check on prices and quality of services at the dhabas, restaurants, three wheelers and four wheelers and ensure that yatris are not over charged, the Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Simrandeep Singh has constituted five teams of various officers and divided areas of operation for them.
Meanwhile 5,906 pilgrims performed darshan at holy cave today. With this the total number of yatris paying obeisance in the cave shrine since the 48 day long yatra started on July 2 has touched 1,33,264.
According to an official spokesman 785 pilgrims are at Nunwan base camp who returned after darshan from holy cave today. He said 654 pilgrims returned after darshan from holy cave by track upto this evening while 195 returned by chopper. Out of them 64 pilgrims stayed in hotels outside.
He said 100 pilgrims left for holy cave this morning from Nunwan base camp while the pilgrims who had stayed at various transit camps like Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni also left for holy cave in the morning.
He said 1969 pilgrims left for holy cave from Baltal this morning.
Reports reaching here said that five langars including one Pracheen langar at Ganeshpora Pahalgam were set ablaze by the violent mob on July 9 and these langer people have taken refuge at Nunwan base camp.
According to Navneet Uppal president Shri Barfani Baba Sewa Dal Society Hoshiarpur Punjab which is running a langar at Ganeshpora, five langars were set ablaze by a strong crowd of over 3000 on July 9 after ransacking the langars.
He said other four langars which were razed to ground by the mob on fateful day included one belonging to Ambala Haryana, another from Rudhrpur Uttarakhand, one from Pilbit, UP and one from Ludhiana, Punjab.
He said while some langar people took refuge in a nearby ITBP camp to save themselves from the wrath of mob, the life of sevadars and other management team at Barfani Baba langar was saved by a Muslim couple Ghulam Hassan Magrey and his wife who gave them shelter in their house and locked the doors from inside.
He said while the langars were set ablaze, all the goods were looted by the mob.
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