Pilgrimage & Palters
Yajin Bhatt |
he great and the sacred Amarnath yatra is round the corner and the J&K has already started gearing up for the same. I am not sure how far this time the state administration is serious enough to make this pilgrimage hurdle and hassle free but the devotees are ready to take up every challenge head-on. Last year due to negligent approach of the state govt. numerous people lost their lives, hoping this year it will abide by the orders as pronounced by the Supreme Court of India. The most important thing to take the cognisance is the exercise of the “Stone pelting crowd” trained and paid by the separatist’s leaders like Alishah Geelani. While the Holy pilgrimage is yet to start, separatists have already started testing their fresh lot of stone palters mostly Muslim youths imported from Bihar, UP and Hyderabad in the name of Jihaad so as to make situation in Valley as grave and tense as ever.
The memories of Amarnath land agitation, which took place in 2008 at Jammu, are still fresh in the lanes of my mental map. The fire of agitation had shocked and shook the whole Jammu province and inturn the Kashmiri youths had put the entire valley in the fire of antisocial activities. The agitations spear headed by Sangarsh Samiti, surely shaped the destiny of Jammu province and was the representative of the national outlook of the patriotic people. Although govt. has failed to address the matter with full devotion but it need to keep in mind that the patriots of J&K have equal right on the territory of this state and have a constitutional and legal right over the land for the holy pilgrimage. The Amarnath land row is simply the outcome of the callous and negative attitude of the central as well as state governments against the Hindu community of this state. This time again when the holy pilgrimage is about to start, the Kashmir based politicians and their front men (separatists) are leaving no stone unturned to keep the situation grim and violent. Started the season with stone pelting episode and then the disastrous Fidayeen attack on the Army camp wherein 5 valiant Jawans laid their lives. Respected chief minister cannot stop his tears from rolling on the floor of the legislature for the death of a stone palter, while his heart could not go out for those brave Jawans who sacrificed their lives for his safety. This partial attitude from the govt. can have serious repercussion on the psyche of the soldiers towards their duties within this state. The Amarnath pilgrimage is old as Puranas, contradicting A.S. Geelani’s claim (who’s genealogical roots are somewhere in Persia) that Amarnath Yatra is only a century old. Lord Shiva in the form of a charming Lingum blesses his devotees in this magnificent Himalyan cave in the bright fortnight of Shravana. Hindu’s from all over the world consider this Yatra highly fulfilling and a way to get rid of sins in this Kalyoug successfully. By protesting against the yatra the separatists repeatedly hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees, who travel across the each corner of this world. This strategic act of Kashmiri politicians to disrupt Amarnath Yatra repeatedly is focus to create barrier for other pilgrimages like Harmukh Ganga at Kangan, Annual Yatra of Martand, Ganga Ashtami at Uma Temple Umanagri etc. These separatists groups live in the fool’s paradise, they consider Kashmir as their own property. The strategy to islamise the valley got a kick-start by forceful conversion of Hindu majority; their subsequent genocide and leftover were completely evacuated from their inhabitant place. Although, most of the protesters are none other than the converted Hindus, still carrying the original Hindu tags of KOUL, RAINA, BHAT, DHAR, MATTOO, PANDIT etc. It seems the narrow minded separatist groups have brought shame to their own religion. God has created this universe and these people are playing politics in the name of same God. At the present moment the word religion is being sacrificed on the altar of materialistic tendencies. The narrow minded people always adopt the ways and means of establishing their religious superiority, ignoring the fact that no matter whatever our belief is God is and will remain one. Lord Shiva is the only universal truth, the absolute creator of this universe and Himalaya is the abode of this creator. Inhabitant Kashmir’s irrespective of their cast and religions are the true believers with Shiva occupying a prominent place even in their prayers. The Sufism which has its origin in Shaivism, is still dominant in the entire valley, despite the consistent preaching of non-Kashmiri mullahs against this Sufism for past 23years now. The human race have been descended to the status of the dogs, who are habituated to barking as soon as they come another set of dogs who happen to hail from another quarter. Human beings are the God’s greatest creation but when he raises a hue and cry as soon as he sees the other human beings from other religious denomination, his humanity ceases to exist. This gives rise to religious intolerance and fundamentalism. Religion should not become a divisive but a cementing force to hold all the beings of this universe in unison, otherwise God will feel (in fact must be feeling) ashamed of his own creation. |
*Rajesh T Bhatt (freelancer), a Kashmir valley resident from Anantnag, Education: Post graduate in computer Science, working with Telecom sector for last 8 years. Father retired from defence services. Presently living in Delhi with his family. |
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