Simrit Kahlon
<a href=”http://www.defenceinfo.com/amarnath-yatra-a-look-beyond-statistics/images-27″ rel=”attachment wp-att-1808″><img class=”alignleft size-full wp-image-1808″ title=”images” src=”http://www.defenceinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/images.jpg” alt=”" width=”272″ height=”185″ /></a>On the second day of August, with the rise of the full moon in the month of Shravan, the Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir for the year 2012 came to an end. The official release which summed up the pilgrimage stated, “6.2 lakh devotees from across the country paid obeisance at the shrine, 130 people lost their lives, 88 due to health reasons and 42 due to accidents en route.” Statistics, however, are known more for concealing than revealing the complete truth.
The Amarnath Yatra is an event that probably rivals the Kumbh mela at Prayag in terms of its sanctity and religious significance. An annual feature that lasts for a little more than a month, its uniqueness lies in the difficult terrain and the inclement weather that has to be overcome in order to reach the holy site. The conduct of the Yatra is definitely far more complex than the pat on the back that the State government has given to itself or the rap on the knuckles that the Supreme Court has delivered to the Shrine Board for the astounding number of human casualties. What has gone unheralded and unacknowledged is the contribution made by many agencies other than the State administration and the Shrine Board which joined hands in making the Yatra successful. It would be difficult to imagine the administrative problems had these agencies not
stepped in to assist in the overall effort.
A peaceful and incident free Yatra sends out a message of peace and tranquillity in the valley. A missive of this nature certainly does not fall in line with the nefarious designs of disruptive forces operational within the valley and on the other side of the border. There remained, therefore, a very real danger of such forces trying to disrupt the Yatra. The Indian Army had the onerous task of ensuring safe conduct of the pilgrimage.
The task of the security forces began much before the pilgrims arrived. It is our soldiers who ensured that the entire route was secured against any kind of security threat. To do so they went in and prepared, with considerable risk to life and limb, the trail that the pilgrims ultimately tread. This year, due to a severe and delayed winter, there was a distinct possibility that the pilgrimage would not commence on the appointed date; many stakeholders, including the civil administration, tacitly accepted and even justified a delay in commencement of the Yatra. It was the sheer perseverance of the Army which led to a timely conduct of the induction run and ensured that the Yatra began on time.
Having ensured the safety of the pilgrims by securing the entire route, the Indian army continued to stand alongside the organisers like the ever watchful sentinel, ready to respond to any exigency in accordance with a mantra of, “constant vigil and full preparedness.” Even though the given mandate was restricted to the provision of overall security cover, the force provided immense humanitarian aid to the pilgrims. In fact, on the very first day of the Yatra, when bad weather left some 4500 pilgrims stranded in the intense cold between Zajipal and Sheshnag, it was the Army which provided emergency relief and physical and moral support that helped tide over the crisis.
Throughout the Yatra, in addition to the arrangements made by the civil administration and other voluntary organisations, the army provided food, refreshment and shelter to close to 20,000 pilgrims. Helping the aged and the feeble negotiate the adverse terrain was yet another goodwill gesture of the Army that earned a lot of appreciation from the people. Children who were separated from their parents in the large crowds found friendly guides in the men in olive green who led them back to their worried parents.
The arduous trek and debilitating weather resulted in a number of pilgrims falling ill. The army had set up medical aid posts at various points along the route that were open to all civilians day and night. More than 8000 people were rescued from succumbing to adverse weather conditions; close to 40000 pilgrims benefitted from the treatment provided at these posts. This apart, the army carried out 42 evacuations of serious casualties. Veterinary camps were also organised to ensure the safety of the ponies, pack mules and other animals used in the Yatra. So great was the attention to every little detail that a temporary Army Goodwill School was also set up at Domel for the children of the Gujjars and Bakarwals who were working the trail as porters and pony providers. The army had exigency plans in place to meet any natural calamity which, fortunately, were not required to be activated.
The mere presence of the Indian soldiers lent a sense of security to the pilgrims who were treading a dangerous unforeseen terrain. The alacrity with which the Army responded to emergency, however small, and the integrity with which it performed its duty led many to acknowledge and some even to state that “were it not for the army, there would be no Amarnath Yatra”. It is not without reason that the army commands such respect in the eyes of the pilgrims.
Undoubtedly, there is scope for improvement in the administrative process in order to make the Yatra safer and more convenient. It is hoped that the State administration and the Shrine Board will learn from the lessons of this year and respond more positively next time. At the same time, the selfless service of such persons who went beyond the call of duty to assist in the safe conduct of the Yatra needs to be acknowledged. It is such initiatives which ensure that mammoth exercises like the Amarnath Yatra are conducted without a hitch. The pity, however, is that the beneficiaries and critics seldom look beyond mere statistics to recognise such effort.Rich Text Area Simrit Kahlon The Amarnath Yatra is an event that probably rivals the Kumbh mela at Prayag in terms of its sanctity and religious significance. An annual feature that lasts for a little more than a month, its uniqueness lies in the difficult terrain and the inclement weather that has to be overcome in order to reach the holy site. The conduct of the Yatra is definitely far more complex than the pat on the back that the State government has given to itself or the rap on the knuckles that the Supreme Court has delivered to the Shrine Board for the astounding number of human casualties. What has gone unheralded and unacknowledged is the contribution made by many agencies other than the State administration and the Shrine Board which joined hands in making the Yatra successful. It would be difficult to imagine the administrative problems had these agencies not stepped in to assist in the overall effort. A peaceful and incident free Yatra sends out a message of peace and tranquillity in the valley. A missive of this nature certainly does not fall in line with the nefarious designs of disruptive forces operational within the valley and on the other side of the border. There remained, therefore, a very real danger of such forces trying to disrupt the Yatra. The Indian Army had the onerous task of ensuring safe conduct of the pilgrimage. The task of the security forces began much before the pilgrims arrived. It is our soldiers who ensured that the entire route was secured against any kind of security threat. To do so they went in and prepared, with considerable risk to life and limb, the trail that the pilgrims ultimately tread. This year, due to a severe and delayed winter, there was a distinct possibility that the pilgrimage would not commence on the appointed date; many stakeholders, including the civil administration, tacitly accepted and even justified a delay in commencement of the Yatra. It was the sheer perseverance of the Army which led to a timely conduct of the induction run and ensured that the Yatra began on time. Having ensured the safety of the pilgrims by securing the entire route, the Indian army continued to stand alongside the organisers like the ever watchful sentinel, ready to respond to any exigency in accordance with a mantra of, “constant vigil and full preparedness.” Even though the given mandate was restricted to the provision of overall security cover, the force provided immense humanitarian aid to the pilgrims. In fact, on the very first day of the Yatra, when bad weather left some 4500 pilgrims stranded in the intense cold between Zajipal and Sheshnag, it was the Army which provided emergency relief and physical and moral support that helped tide over the crisis. Throughout the Yatra, in addition to the arrangements made by the civil administration and other voluntary organisations, the army provided food, refreshment and shelter to close to 20,000 pilgrims. Helping the aged and the feeble negotiate the adverse terrain was yet another goodwill gesture of the Army that earned a lot of appreciation from the people. Children who were separated from their parents in the large crowds found friendly guides in the men in olive green who led them back to their worried parents. The arduous trek and debilitating weather resulted in a number of pilgrims falling ill. The army had set up medical aid posts at various points along the route that were open to all civilians day and night. More than 8000 people were rescued from succumbing to adverse weather conditions; close to 40000 pilgrims benefitted from the treatment provided at these posts. This apart, the army carried out 42 evacuations of serious casualties. Veterinary camps were also organised to ensure the safety of the ponies, pack mules and other animals used in the Yatra. So great was the attention to every little detail that a temporary Army Goodwill School was also set up at Domel for the children of the Gujjars and Bakarwals who were working the trail as porters and pony providers. The army had exigency plans in place to meet any natural calamity which, fortunately, were not required to be activated. The mere presence of the Indian soldiers lent a sense of security to the pilgrims who were treading a dangerous unforeseen terrain. The alacrity with which the Army responded to emergency, however small, and the integrity with which it performed its duty led many to acknowledge and some even to state that “were it not for the army, there would be no Amarnath Yatra”. It is not without reason that the army commands such respect in the eyes of the pilgrims. Undoubtedly, there is scope for improvement in the administrative process in order to make the Yatra safer and more convenient. It is hoped that the State administration and the Shrine Board will learn from the lessons of this year and respond more positively next time. At the same time, the selfless service of such persons who went beyond the call of duty to assist in the safe conduct of the Yatra needs to be acknowledged. It is such initiatives which ensure that mammoth exercises like the Amarnath Yatra are conducted without a hitch. The pity, however, is that the beneficiaries and critics seldom look beyond mere statistics to recognise such effort.
On the second day of August, with the rise of the full moon in the month of Shravan, the Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir for the year 2012 came to an end. The official release which summed up the pilgrimage stated, “6.2 lakh devotees from across the country paid obeisance at the shrine, 130 people lost their lives, 88 due to health reasons and 42 due to accidents en route.” Statistics, however, are known more for concealing than revealing the complete truth.
