KASHMIR FACING ECOLOGICAL TERRORISM

Srinagar Nov 07, Only Kashmir

By Tahir Muzter:

Again   right wing Hindu   parties are politicizing   Sheri Amaranth   Yatra as was done in   2008, with big land row, and     economic blockade against Kashmir.  According to a recent news report, published   in the Daily “EARY TIMES”, Jammu, Hindu bodies interpret  Kasmi”s  opposition   to the construction of    road to Amaranth, as   opposition to giving facilities to the yatries, or interference to   Hindu religion.   This sort of allegation     against Kashmir   is no doubt mischievous. Kashmir  opposed  and  will oppose  to the  Construction of  Amaranth  road , but   it     is  based   on the  ground of  protection of  ecologically   fragile  area. And   safeguarding the main water   source of the valley of Kashmir. And it is all logical and a right of Kashmir. In deeded   it is what the   whole world strives for. 

It  is for what,   Hurriyat leader   Syed Ali  Shah  Geelani  has been Coagulated   by   Madhu Purnima Kishwar, a professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in Delhi and Founder of MANUSHI—an organization committed to protect democratic rights in India,  who is also   a member of   Kashmir Committee (Ram  Jaith  Malani ).  It was   when a couple of weeks  Geelani   Sahib   voiced concern for the environmental damage being caused to the eco-sensitive zone due to the massive increase in the number of yatris that have begun visiting the Amarnath Shrine.  In an open letter to  Geelani Sahib (tahkaka. com ) , she  has   admitted ----- “ I have personally seen how much garbage and filth, the Yatra generates, and how the extension of the Yatra to two months has caused further damage to the delicate ecology of the area.”

In her open letter, she   has said “On behalf of Kashmir Committee, I fully endorse your demand that just as 153 km area from Gomukh to Devprayag has been notified as an eco-sensitive zone by the Government of India, so also the area around the Amarnath shrine needs to be declared as an eco-sensitive zone. All those who value the Amarnath Shrine as a sacred site, should join hands with their Kashmiri brothers in preserving the pristine purity of the area.” She also admitted --------“You are also right in alleging that the creation of the Shrine Board, (with  limitless  powers---TM)  by Farooq Abdullah government was an ill conceived political move. However, the Board stayed within its limits till General Sinha as the Governor of J&K did all he could to communalize the Yatra as well as its management.  Shee   agreed     that  “ Your demand that the management of the Yatra be handed over to the Kashmiri Pandits of the Valley and that they along with their Muslim brothers take care of the needs of the yatris is a welcome suggestion, especially considering that Kashmiri Muslims have played a stellar role in ensuring that the yatris feel welcome and safe no matter how disturbed the conditions in the Valley. This well-meaning Indian lady, with a positive and constructive   approach has not hesitated to confess that -“While there is no denying that certain vested interests are using the Yatra as “a show of Hindu strength”.

What    the people   of Kashmir  wanted in 2008, during    Amaranth  Land Row  or    for what they have raised  their voice now,   in not   interference    in the  Hindu Religion at all ,but   it and it is  strictly  in accordance with    even the teachings of   VEDAS—Hindu  scriptures ---- Vedas    also    specially emphasis   upon: -----

 “Do not harm the environment; do not harm the water and the flora; earth is my mother, I am her son; may the waters remain fresh , do not harm the waters” This  is  what  Rig Veda venerates deities like MITRE, Varna, Indri, Marts and Aditya, that are responsible for maintaining the requisite balance in the functioning  of all entities of nature whether the mountains, lakes. Heaven and earth, the forests or the waters. Seers recognized that changes caused due to indiscreet human activities could result in imbalances in seasons, rainfall patterns, crops and atmosphere and degrade the quality of water, air and earth resources’’.

This   is what the people of Kashmir   wanted.  desired , and expressed   and   demanded  when   800  kanals of   forest  land   was  transferred to the  Shri Amarnath  Shrine   Board , ,  illegally , with   one  mission   of   Shrine  Board  with  S k Sinha  as it  Chairman    to     make  the  Yatra  bigger  and bigger with  every year, ignoring   the essence of Vedas  on   environment. –Because the mission is all political--------but in   the name   of religious   Yatra.   

While going through this write-up “Vedic Preservative on the Environment” in Times of India (June 4,) ,when   I,  as a son of Kashmir , think  about  what is  happening in Kashmir    in the name of     Amarnath  Yatra   I  find    no name,   no  definition  no  term      which can   present exact picture   of what Kashmir   is   facing   ---------YES—it can be termed ------ECOLOGICAL  TERROEISM  IN KASHMIR’’

The calculated use of violence or the threat of violence against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; which is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear is terrorism.”,  it is what  Kashmir  faced  and  continue  to face perhaps    till Kashmir will  turn   into  a  desert   as predicted  by environmentalists. In the the warning words of great geologist Prof. Husnain-----“If the glaciers meltdown completely, Kashmir will become a desert.” 

Basic fault  lies  with  time to time  state  governments  in Kashmir Since 1996 It  was   the   blind    disposal  of the recommendations   of Natish Sen Gupta\  and Mukhar Ji    Committee   suggesting  limiting  the  number of  Yatries ,  as done in  repect   of  Gangotri in UTTRAKHAND  ----and fixing   quota   of yatries  to the  States.    Till formation   of  the   Shrine  Board   non implementation of the  recommendations   could be attributed    to the  careless  of   governments or   appeasement   policy  of  State Governments for   people   in  Delhi.    But   with  the formation  of  the Shrine  Board, with un-brlled  powers   it became  a dictation  for  the  State government.   The  fact is  that  all the  State  governments  from   1996  are  criminally  silent  on it with   an exception  of  a feeble    assertion  by the ex-Chief Minister Mufti  Mohammad  Sayeed  in 2003?, but    he had  to bow before centre’s  intervention.  And   now the position is that    Kashmir   is continuously    facing   ecological     terrorism.

Tahir Muzter is a well known Journo of J&K, He has been the first Editor of the Daily Chinar & Nawa-e-Subah. Tahir Muzter is also known for his poetry, he is the Author of the book "Neelam Ghar" a collection of poetry in Urdu, Tahir Muzter is one of the content contribution to Only Kashmir. He can be reached at:  tahirmuzter.s@rediffmail.com