Tensions ran excessive within the base camp for the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir as protests towards a proposed ropeway mission escalated into violent clashes right here on Monday. The protesters – shopkeepers, pony house owners, porters, and palki wallahs – clashed with police and resorted to stone-pelting, officers stated.
The protesters, who started their agitation on November 22, prolonged their preliminary 72-hour strike by one other 24 hours, voicing fears that the ₹250-crore ropeway mission would go away a lot of them jobless. The mission, deliberate between Tarakote Marg and Sanji Chhat alongside the 12-km trek to the shrine, is predicted to be accomplished in two years.
STORY | Protesters conflict with police throughout anti-ropeway agitation in J-Okay’s Katra
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Clashes with Safety Forces
On Monday, the scenario turned risky when a CRPF car tried to cross via the city whereas there was a sit-in protest occurring. Protesters attacked the car, smashing the windshield, and pelted stones at safety personnel. The car needed to be moved again with the assistance of police.
SSP Reasi, Paramvir Singh, described the regulation and order scenario as “difficult.” He stated the administration is actively partaking with the protesters to handle their considerations and defuse the strain.
“We try to carry talks with the protesters to allay their fears and restore peace. The scenario stays underneath management, however it’s vital to resolve this amicably,” Singh stated.
Strike Over the Ropeway Mission
The agitation has emerged from fears among the many native laborers and enterprise house owners because the pilgrims are their major supply of earnings. Over 1.5 crore devotees go to the shrine yearly, and the ropeway could be thought of, within the eyes of a lot of the locals, as a direct menace to their livelihood.
The ropeway mission would possibly make it simpler for pilgrims, however what about us? Hundreds of households survive on this route, and this mission will destroy our livelihoods,” stated Ramesh Gupta, an area shopkeeper protesting.
Pony and palanquin house owners shared these considerations, arguing that the mission would drastically cut back foot visitors alongside the normal trek, which might have an effect on their earnings.
Protesters’ Calls for
Protestors have demanded that the mission be placed on maintain instantly and different preparations for employment be searched for these whose livelihoods are adversely affected. With placards and slogans like “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” a whole bunch of demonstrators marched via the streets of Katra and had sit-ins, intent on calling consideration to their plight.
Whereas the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has defended the ropeway mission as a step towards enhancing infrastructure and enhancing the pilgrim expertise, the board has been underneath stress to abate the considerations by the protesters.
The ₹250-crore mission, designed to offer safer and sooner entry for the pilgrim, particularly throughout peak seasons and opposed climate circumstances, is geared toward addressing the considerations of native stakeholders, and we’re open to discussions,” a Shrine Board official stated.
The administration is in a good spot as protests go into their fifth day. The Katra scenario stays charged, the place heavy police deployment has ensured that the scenario stays underneath management and would not exit of hand.
