Excelsior Correspondent
CHANDIGARH, Feb 15: A meeting of Shri Amarnath Barfani Langars Organisation (SABLO) was held today at Mansa Devi, Panchkula/ Chandigarh under the chairmanship of Vijay Kumar Thakur its president and Pawan Saboo chairman to discuss the issues pertaining to the forthcoming Amarnath Ji Yatra as well as the duration of Yatra.
The meeting said that till the year 2013, Shrine Board has been taking all decisions after having consultation with SABLO. A meeting was held between SASB and SABLO representatives in January for this purpose every year. However, this practice has been stopped from last year and Shrine Board has adopted a policy of ” divide and rule” and created wedge between the members of SABLO for reasons best known to the Board. The SABLO expressed its resentment against such tactics.
The meeting said Bhandaras are important stake holders in Shri Amarnathji Yatra along with other Government agencies and departments. They have long experience in serving the Yatris and connected with pilgrims at grass root levels. They know pilgrims problems very minutely. It said SABLO has been giving constructive suggestions to Shrine Board for smooth conduct of Yatra. Same has been advocated in the Sen report in 1996, it added.
Shrine Board has miserably failed to fulfill the conditions pointed out by Supreme Court for smooth conduct of Yatra and the safety of the pilgrims i.e. improvement in infrastructure – separate track for Yatris, poneys. Instead of improving the infrastructure the Shrine Board has reduced the number of Yatris undertaking Yatra. It is a deep rooted conspiracy to reduce the number of yatries paying obeisance at the Holy Shrine, it added.
It said the Supreme Court had also advised to the Shrine Board that fried items, cold drinks items should not be served to the pilgrims during Shri Amarnathji Yatra. However, Shrine Board has been selective in implementing this condition in its practice. The Bhandaras /Langarwalas are unnecessarily harassed on this account, whereas fried items and cold drinks are openly available on the Shops and at other places during the Yatra period. No action has been taken by Shrine Board to stop sale of such items which have been banned by the Supreme Court except causing harassment to the Bhandaras on this pretext.
It said after the incident of burning of Langars at Baltal Camp on July, 18 last year, SABLO had undertaken dharnas and protested strongly against this incident and demanded high level inquiry and had written a letter to the Union Home Minister, Prime Minister, IG CRPF, but till date no action has been taken in this direction. It is suggested that security of Yatra should be handed over to the Army or Paramilitary Forces instead of J & K Police, otherwise no Bhandara Organisation is interested to set up Bhandaras during Yatra period 2015.
The Shrine Board should not feel SABLO as competitor of Shrine Board but as an associate for conducting the Yatra. The members of NGOs are not taking an aid from the Government but they are serving the Yatris free of cost after taking donations from people. The Langar Organizations are not ready to take unrealistic conditions of Shrine Board during the Yatra under any circumstances. The Shrine Board has been formulated to assist in smooth conduct of Shri Amarnathji Yatra and not act as a autocratic body and also interfere in the affairs of Bhandaras who are engaged in charity service during Shri Amjarnathji Yatra.
It also demanded that Shrine Board should not take unilateral decision regarding the Amarnathji Yatra. It should take decisions after holding meeting with the representatives of SABLO which is an apex Langar Organisation.
It also demanded that duration of yatra should be only 30 days instead of 59 days.
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