Katra township, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine located in the Trikuta hills Monday witnessed violent protests against the proposed ropeway project cleared by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board authorities last week. The 250-crore ropeway project between Tarakote Marg to Sanjhi Chhat along the 13-kilometer track is expected to be a game changer for millions of devotees paying obeisance inside the sanctum sanctorum.
A large number of devotees welcomed the ropeway project and claimed it would make the spiritual journey more inclusive and accessible while maintaining the sanctity of the pilgrimage.
In contrast, local shopkeepers, pony wallahs, and palanquin owners have been protesting peacefully for the last three days demanding immediate withdrawal of the proposal or proper rehabilitation of all families likely to be affected by the project. Carrying banners and placards, they raised slogans against the Shrine Board and the ropeway project, which they claim, would render them jobless.
However, peaceful demonstrations on Monday abruptly turned unruly after hundreds of protesters, assembled in the main chowk of Katra town went berserk. The agitators attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle and broke its windshield forcing law enforcement agencies to launch a crackdown to disperse the large crowd. Chaos prevailed in the area as agitators ran helter-skelter.
Some of them also pelted stones targeting the police personnel deployed in the area. One of the officers and a few jawans received minor injuries in the melee.
During these protests, the pilgrims visiting the shrine faced many hardships as a large number of shops en route to the 13 km long trek remained closed.
Pony and palanquin owners did not provide service to the pilgrims.
According to Anshul Garg, the Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board, the ropeway project has been in discussion for several years, and the board has now resolved to move forward, ensuring better facilities for pilgrims.
Anshul Garg said that once completed the ropeway project is surely going to enhance the pilgrimage experience, making it safer, faster, and more inclusive for elderly and differently-abled pilgrims as well. On average 90 lakh pilgrims (annually) offer prayers inside the cave shrine and the footfall is expected to cross the previous year’s milestone of 95 lakhs this year.
Reacting to the violent protests, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said the genuine concerns of the people protesting against the proposed ropeway project along the Mata Vaishno Devi route would be looked after. Sinha, who is also the chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), said a committee headed by the divisional commissioner of Jammu had already talked to the stakeholders to build a consensus on the development projects.
Responding to a question on the stone-pelting incident in Katra on the fourth day of the strike against the construction of the ropeway project, the Lt Governor said the concerns about loss of employment are being taken care of. However, he said there would be no compromise with development projects and creating ample employment opportunities for the people.
