Land row set aside, locals feed hungry Amarnath pilgrims

SETTING AN EXAMPLE: People of Srinagar go beyond religious barriers and help the pilgrims.

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Keywords: Land Row, Pilgrims

Srinagar: Locals in Srinagar are preparing food for Amarnath pilgrims as all eateries have shut down due to the violent protests over the land transfer row in the Valley.

As hundreds of pilgrims including kids returned to Srinagar after paying at the cave shrine, many found no place to eat or stay.

“We decided to provide food to the hungry pilgrims and their children. We arranged free langar for them. Though we are against the land allotment but at the same time we will always help the yatris,” a resident of Srinagar, Mushtaq Ahmad, said.

Resentment in the Valley over the transfer of 40 hectares of land to the Amaranth Shrine Board has left three dead and more than 200 injured. The week-long bandh paralysed the Valley and people clashed with police in almost every part of the city.

The protests even affected the pilgrims' progress to the cave shrine and the yatra has been suspended several times.

While there is anger and resentment on the streets of Srinagar, the locals have stayed away from getting swayed by emotions and believed in human values more than anything else.

“We faced a lot of difficulties. Hotels and restaurants are closed. The political game that is being played here is very bad. Locals have done a good job. They have helped us and it indicates people are one but it is the politicians who are dividing us,” a pilgrim said.

While political parties like the BJP and PDP are cashing-in on the controversy, there is a lesson to be learnt from this gesture from the people of Srinagar.