Avtar Bhat
RAMBAN, May 2: Maintaining that dates from Jesht Purnima to Shravan Purnima are auspicious for conducting of holy Amarnath yatra, Union Minister in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today said otherwise there is no binding in conducting the yatra for rest of the year.
Talking to reporters at the sidelights of a Party meeting here today, Dr Singh said the yatra can be academically and logically taken from May to September when the weather is moderate. This has been substantiated by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) report also that the yatra can be conducted from May to September keeping in view the safety of the track, he added.
The Union Minister said as per the weather forecasting after September there are apprehension of land slides etc otherwise there is no harm in taking the yatra for rest of the year.
He said the biggest evidence regard starting yatra in any part of the year is that first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru soon after his marriage was sent by his family for holy Amarnath pilgrimage along with his bride Kamla Nehru 15 days after Basant Panchmi which was either ending February or beginning of March. Nehru family being a Kashmiri Brahmin believed that holy Amarnath pilgrimage can be conducted in any part of year so they sent the couple for pilgrimage even when winter was still prevailing in Kashmir, he added.
Dr Singh said this is an indication that there is no binding that the holy Amarnath yatra can’t be held for other parts of the year.
The Union Minister said decision regarding the holding of religious pilgrimages like holy Amarnath yatra and Haj pilgrimage should be left to religious heads only and no body else should interfere in it to maintain the sanctity of these pilgrimages.
Expressing his dismay over the controversy being created on the name of holy Amarnath yatra every time during the start of yatra by the vested elements, Dr Singh said all sections of political spectrum should resist the temptation to indulge in competitive politics in the name of Amarnath yatra as some times such misadventures can prove counter productive as it will have reaction from other side as happened during 2008 Amarnath land row.
He reiterated that Jammu youth involved in land row agitation of 2008 against whom cases are still pending be absolved on the same pattern as the cases are being withdrawn against stone pelters in Valley.
Strongly condemning the waving of Pakistani flags at Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s rally in Tral yesterday, Dr Singh expressed confidence that the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Government would rise to the occasion and take steps to ensure such incidents do not recur.
“We (BJP and Central Government) expect that he (Chief Minister) will live up to the expectations of people and the nation (by ensuring swift action in such incidents),” He said the policy is clear and Government has been conveyed to take appropriate action in this regard.
“It (waving of Pak flags) is condemnable. The Government has reiterated time and again that there is no place for Pakistani flags being hoisted, but at the same time, I would hasten to add that the Government in the State is capable of handling any situation like this and we expect that they would rise to the occasion,” he said.
Dr Singh, who is on a three-day visit to Jammu, said “the State Government should go by the promise of not allowing such activities.”
“State Government and the Chief Minister have already taken appropriate action in similar incidents in the past,” he said.
To a question on Mufti Government being soft towards separatists, Singh said that the State government had taken action against separatist leader Masrat Alam for holding an anti-India rally in Srinagar and hoped that they would act in a similar manner this time as well.
“Time and again this issue has been taken up with the State Government and the Chief Minister has conveyed that they are handling the situation as per the law of the land,” he said.
“They have taken action in some of the similar matters recently. So, I hope, they would also handle it in the manner which is expected from them,” he added.
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