Board has to pay Rs 2.31crores (23.1 million rupees) to government in lieu of the said forest land. It has plans to build concrete structures and already some construction work has started. In past prefabricated structures were used for the convenience of pilgrims. Besides this it is being said that people from outside state would only be allowed to assist board in organizing yatra and locals would not be allowed to carry any sort of trade on the route.

The act is being seen as communalization at the hands of board. The seperatists as well as regional mainstream political parties see it as an act to change the demography of the state. Now with government in fix, the row spilled on to the streets of valley. Clashes have been going on in Srinagar city and other parts of valley for the past two days. One person has been killed in the violent protests so far.

SASB was formed in 2000 after legislation in state assembly. The board was entrusted with the powers to govern the affairs related to annual pilgrimage. As per the legislation, Governor of state is the ex-officio head of the board.

Amarnath pilgrimage (yatra) used to be a religious affair up to Lt. Gen. S K Sinha’s unnecessary meddling into it and his efforts to communalise the issue. The inkling of his motives came to fore after he locked horns with the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohammed Sayeed over extending yatra to two months time. Earlier yatra period was a 15 days affair.

Since yatra has to be carried out through forest and mountainous terrain, the extension simply meant pollution of nature and vandalization of ecology and enivornoment. Although environmentalists and nature lovers condemned the act but board was defiant in its approach. Yatra to Amaranth is ensured through two routes - one via Balthal and the other via Pahalgam.

For many devotees, this arduous journey to this cave is possible only through faith. The cave is 44.8 km from Pahalgam base camp. However, worshippers frequently use the 13-km Baltal-cave route and avail facilities like chopper services. 

In 2006 the Sinha received bad press for his alleged act of putting up an artificial ice lingam inside the cave after a natural one had failed to form. The ice lingam failed to form again in 2007 and ecologists then blamed the heavy influx of pilgrims over extended period -imposed by SASB- for the failure. 

He was also instrumental in putting an end to glorying example of religious harmony by denying permission to a Muslim community to remain present at the cave during yatra period. Even a share from the annual offerings was denied to them.

According to an ancient tale, a Muslim shepherd named Butta Malik was given a sack of coal by a Sadhu which turned into gold once he reached home. Overjoyed Butta Malik rushed back to thank the Sadhu, but at the spot of their meeting he discovered a cave which eventually became a place of pilgrimage for Hindus. 

This family braved odds even during insurgency by keeping the affair unaffected.

Tail piece

There is no communal tension in Kashmir, nor are Kashmiris against the yatra. No Muslim of Kashmir is against the Hindus within valley or from outside J&K. But who would help our our officials at helm to understand that forests in Kashmir are also forests. Let our media stop give communal colour to it . A peep into developments would help us identify the miscreants.