Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, May 9: Shamim Ahmed, 45, a Gujjar man from Rafta-Bhagani, a hamlet in Mathwar area of Jammu district is finding it tough to run family affairs as his only source of income—a pair of horses is presently proving a burden rather being assets for him.
Ahmed used his horses to shift pilgrims from Katra to Bhawan at the world famed revered shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji.
“I used to save Rs. 20,000 per month from both my horses but these days due to sudden fall in pilgrimage my income has reduced to zero and I am even finding it tough to manage fodder for my horses and run affairs of my family,” he said adding that he was now failing to even get some labour task for him to make both ends meet while his wages of MGNREGA for the last year, when he faced similar situation due to first wave of Corona, are still unpaid.
Shamim is one among thousands of people left without any income as they are directly depended upon Vaishno Devi pilgrimage for their livelihood while on the other hand business and economy of Katra has been badly hit with its tremors being felt in the business circles at Jammu and some parts of Kashmir of the newly formed J&K Union Territory as the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic drastically lowered the number of visiting pilgrims at the shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji in Katra.
It is worthwhile to mention here that Katra town is known for making business records by daily turnovers running into several crores of rupees especially during certain days like Navratras.
Varinder Kesar, Katra Head of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry informed that from over 30,000, the pilgrimage has now reduced to a three digit number due to which the business in Katra has badly shattered leaving many people jobless.
“Over one lakh persons ranging from horse and mule owners to the employees at big hotels are left unemployed as their incomes were directly linked with the number of visiting pilgrims at the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji,” he informed.
“We all are helpless as nothing could be done with the pandemic but the Government on the other hand is also hesitating in extending a helping hand towards the business community,” he maintained adding that there is no hope of seeing the business in Katra back on track at least in the near future and the business community has to incur losses for some more months.
When contacted, President Katra Hotels and Restaurants Association, Rakesh Wazir said, while the first wave of COVID-19 had inflicted heavy losses to hotel industry, the second wave proved more disastrous and it totally vanished the business of hotel industry of Katra.
“Profits of hotel industry dipped to a minus level as running expenses like power and water bills, salaries to employees etc have to be met even when business is staying at zero,” Wazir said.
“As 98 per cent of the hotels at Katra are closed, the remaining two per cent are working with minimum staff with some only having the security staff while about 35,000 persons working in hotels, guest houses, restaurants and inns at Katra have been left unemployed,” he maintained.
Rakesh Roshan Heera, Dry Fruit Union President Katra claimed that their work has been badly hit at present as number of pilgrims fell.
He said, some shopkeepers selling dry fruit had spent about Rs. 50 lakh or even more in stocking their shops which are shut presently.
“Last year the stocks worth crores of rupees at dry fruit shops rotted due to closure of shops because of lockdown triggered by the COVID pandemic and this year too we fear the same catastrophe,” he said adding: “Though last year the traders tolerated the heavy losses but this time they are not in the same situation and may take some extreme step if business losses pushed them to mental depression.”
“When the pilgrims reduced to 300-400, opening of shops on turn-wise manner sends the message that Katra is closed and this is not good for the pilgrimage and business,” Heera maintained adding, had all the shops ordered to remain open, there would be no crowd as very few pilgrims are visiting the shrine.
Pertinent to mention here is that shops are allowed to open in turn wise manner in Katra due to Corona pandemic.
He also informed that dry fruit traders of Jammu district and those of Kashmir region too have buyers in Katra retail market.
Sohan Singh, President of Palkis, owners of Horses & Mule and Pithoo Association Katra said, about 11,000 men including Pithoos (men carrying others on their back) and those linked with the work of lifting pilgrims on horses, mules and Palkis (palanquin) are left without any work due to the drastic lowering of number of pilgrims at the cave shrine.
“There are 4000 registered horses and mules for pilgrimage while number of Palkis carrying pilgrims is 500 involving 2500 men as four men are engaged with a Palki and there are 4000 registered Pithoos in all but presently almost all of these are left workless and only 5-10 horses and Pithoos are working at the pilgrimage track,” Singh informed.
He said that in the lockdown of last year about 300-400 horses had died due to lack of fodder as each horse engaged in Katra pilgrimage task needs a fodder of Rs. 400 daily and its owner has to manage that along with expenses of his family.
Singh said that less number of pilgrims has also hit the business of fodder shops at Ban-Ganga which in turn has affected farmers of R.S Pura in Jammu and some places in Kashmir as in normal days these shopkeepers used to buy 4-5 truck load of green fodder daily from R.S Pura and from some places in Kashmir.
Sources informed that many shops at Katra sell apples and other fruits and dry fruits for which they depend upon traders of Kashmir and Jammu.
Meanwhile, the Corona triggered lockdown and night curfew in Katra has left the ever-busy Katra town with a deserted look with most of the shops shut and roads with very thin traffic.
Katra town is the base camp of Vaishno Devi pilgrimage.
On preparedness of authorities, sources said that visiting pilgrims are allowed for pilgrimage only on the production of a RTPCR negative report for COVID-19 while those visiting without tests are tested at railway station.
They further said that those coming by road are tested for COVID-19 at Lakhanpur and Vijaypur and there is facility of paid and unpaid quarantine for those found positive in these tests.
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