The desire to introduce religion into controversies which are basically political in nature not only puts our secular system on test but also creates unnecessary confusion and tension among people who have been living peacefully for ages. In this context one controversy which comes to my mind is the conflict relating to allotment of land to Amarnath Shrine Board for facilitating the pilgrims wanting to visit the holy cave via Sonmarg route.

To me the controversy not only seemed ridiculous but also something which will hurt the feelings of Hindus who are bound by age old tradition of visiting the cave during the holy month. The traditional Yatra always started from Srinagar and travelled step by step performing the necessary ceremonies en-route before reaching the holy cave on the day fixed well in advance. That is the Rakhi day. The dedicated group of devotees who carried holy mace or (ChariMubarak) as known among the locals performed the rituals enroute at Anantnag, Chandanwari and Sheshnag. A bath in the icy waters of the lake at Sheshnag was part of purification before one entered the cave.

This was the traditional route followed by devotees who believed in age old customs and religious tradition. As compared to it the alternative route via Baltal was more in the nature of fast food culture prevailing today as it reduced the Yatra time from three to four days to one day only. As one could reach Sonmarg in the morning visit the cave and return to Srinagar late in the evening. This route was initially popularized by Army which has a major presence in the area.

Over the years as the popularity of Yatra gained fresh ground some even decided to reach the helipad close to the cave in helicopters thus reducing the total time of visit to the cave and yatra to few hours only. A question can be asked should people bother to agitate for pilgrims who are breaking all age old traditions and have reduced the yatra to a ritual which is in the category of fast food and calls for quick gratification.

One can argue that the resentment of people of Jammu against Valley is justified on many grounds both in terms of political discrimination and economic assistance, but introduction of religion into this controversy has no justification. It should be remembered that but for the efforts of Maliks who receive a part of the offerings made at the cave this Yatra would not have become a reality.

Similarly, no amount of official effort can make Yatra a success without the cooperation of locals who literally carry the yatries on their backs by working as coollies or by providing horses. Most of the children get piggy rides while coolies carry luggage as head load of the Yatries. All those who provide these services are locals and also muslims' As such one would like to ask the BJP and others who raised the issue of land allotment to shrine board to have a fresh look before creating a situation which can divide the State on religious lines.

If Jammuites have a case of discrimination against people of valley, the backward districts of Jammu region like Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and part of Kathua have a stronger case for discrimination against Jammu Hindus as they have suffered more over the years either in war or in times of insurgency. People of Jammu have maintained their secular traditions under grave provocations like attacks by militants during insurgency on Hindu population As such it will be a tragedy if they allow a non-issue like allotment of land for shrine board to provoke them to such an extent.

It should be kept in mind that all those who want to turn the holy pilgrimage to Amarnath cave into an exercise on the lines of fast food by encouraging quick gratification through shorter routes, helicopter rides and building Shivling with ice collected from outside while the original one melts away thanks to the heat generated by increase in the number of yatries need to think again. The number which was earlier in thousands have now risen many time and thus pose a threat to ecology of the region which is quite fragile.

Every Government in power has a duty to provide facilities for people who want to maintain their traditions and do duties as suggested by their religious beliefs. But it should not become a point of conflict where it starts hurting the locals. For years the old traditions have worked well and will probably continue in future unless our politicians decide to muddy the waters.

A time has come when many in BJP like Mr. L.K Advani who take pride in displaying their nationalist credentials realize that by their actions they have only revived militancy which had suffered serious blows in the past and was on its last legs as indicated in the turnout during elections held in the State. Jammu and Kashmir in one area where political parties should sacrifice their personal interests and work for a common cause that is bringing people of Jammu and Kashmir closer to Indian mainstream.

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