A shutdown was observed in most parts of Kashmir Valley on Saturday while the authorities imposed restrictions in regions of five police stations in old Srinagar to curb protests against a proposed Hindu pilgrimage to Kausarnag, a water-body situated 12,000 feet above sea level in south Kashmir mountains.
The shutdown was called by separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani but other secessionist groups also joined his “concern” on the proposed pilgrimage. They said that the introduction of pilgrimage is part of a hidden agenda to change the demography of the Muslim majority State. The separatists have also expressed environmental concerns.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has not spoken on the issue though the Centre has sought an explanation from his Government after a Kashmiri Pandit group met Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Jatendra Singh.
The water body, one of the major water resources in south Kashmir that feeds hundreds of acres of agricultural land is a tourist destination popular with robust trekkers who access it from Reasi in Jammu and Kulgam in south Kashmir. The lake is positioned at the mountainous boundary between Kashmir and Jammu provinces.
Few years back, Hindu pilgrims began to organise special worship sessions at the lake. This year, however, the administration in Reasi decided to hold the puja on a larger scale even indicating to press in helicopters to airlift pilgrims. The district administration in Kulgam organised police protection for the intending pilgrims who wanted to trek through south Kashmir route. The deputy commissioner later withdrew the order.
Most of the separatist leaders including Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were put under house-arrest.