By News Agency of Kashmir,
Jammu : Alleging that some ‘anti-social’ elements are trying to disrupt this year’s annual Amarnath pilgrimage, Panun Kashmir (PK), an organization of Kashmiri Pandits, today alleged that the campaign against the pilgrimage in valley has torn the policy of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to promote secularism and rule of law in Jammu and Kashmir to smithereens.
“This motivated campaign against Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir valley also brings to fore the communalization of the social milieu and public discourse in Kashmir valley. The campaign also brings to focus how communal forces within the government and outside it work in tandem,” Chairman Panun Kashmir Dr Ajay Chrungoo told reporters here this morning.
He further alleged, “Coalition partner PDP started this campaign in 2003 and now both the factions of Hurriyat Conference as well as United Jihad Council have joined it. Panun Kashmir sees the campaign against the Yatra as a continuation of religious cleansing,” adding that the communal forces entrenched within the government, mainstream political establishment and outside are pursuing relentlessly the destruction of all Hindu links of Kashmir .
Dr Chrungoo accused the state government of taking over of Hindu property on the pretext of building utility facilities, changing of place names of Kashmir and replacing them with Islamic names and the campaign against the Amarnath Yatra.
“The ‘civil society’ in the valley has once again revealed its ‘regressive’ and ‘communal’ face by selectively targeting the pilgrimage,” he alleged and asked “Why civil society of Kashmir never asks the type of questions it has raised about Amarnath pilgrimage?” He further alleged that the civil society of Kashmir never raised questions about environment destruction when lakhs of devotees assemble at the revered Hazratbal shrine.
“Construction work on Mughal road has destroyed forests from Budhal to Shopian. Dal and Wullar Lakes have shrunk because of encroachment and pollution. Civil society in the valley has been a mute spectator to all this,” he alleged.
He also pointed fingers on the alliance of Congress party with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the coalition government of Jammu and Kashmir.