Srinagar: The Valley-based tour operators have objected to the Gujarat government’s guidelines for Amarnath pilgrims from the state.
The Gujarat Transport Commissioner has written to the Road Transport Offices (RTOs) and tour operators, “stressing on preparedness to handle unforeseen situations” during the annual Amarnath pilgrimage to Kashmir, The Indian Express reported on Thursday.
The guidelines have come in the backdrop of killing of seven pilgrims from Gujarat at Anantnag in south Kashmir last year.
“In case of any unforeseen situations, the driver, conductor, as well as four or five literate passengers must be given instructions for handling the emergency situations. They must have the contact numbers of control rooms of their district, state and the Amarnath Yatra control room. In case of an emergency, the owner of the tour should contact the state control room,” The Indian Express quoted the guidelines issued by the Transport Commissioner.
The guidelines by the Gujarat Transport Commissioner, as per The Indian Express, state: “The drivers must be trained to administer first aid and always carry a first aid kit with them…”
General Secretary Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), Farooq Ahmad Kuthu told The Kashmir Monitor that “exaggerating” the last year’s attack on the pilgrims would not only bring down the Amarnath tourist influx, but impact the overall tourist flow to the Valley.
“The last year’s attack was an isolated incident, but they are exaggerating the situation.”
“The people who go through the circular would develop a fear in their minds. It would remind them of last year’s incident. The circular would present to them a picture of uncertainty in the Valley,” added Kuthu.
The TAAK, Kuthu said, provided services to the Amarnath pilgrims every year by “giving packages to them including road transport and chopper services”.
“We take them up to Baltal and Pahalgam,” Kuthu said. “The circular is definitely going to affect the tourist traffic into the Valley in the upcoming season.”
Ex-President Travel Agents Society of Kashmir (TASK), Mohammad Ibrahim Siah said, “The Gujarat government’s guidelines are like asking the pilgrims to be ready to die.”
“When we ask somebody to be ready to die, how will he be motivated to come here?” Siah asked.
After the Gujarat government, Siah feared that “other states will follow it”.
President TASK, Mir Anwar, said that by issuing such orders, the Gujarat government was “playing a negative role by doing a negative publicity”.
“See, people before planning any destination, will have a security point of view. Security is the first consideration for everybody. It definitely would be a concern for people and they may have a second thought,” Anwar added.
The communiqué, Anwar said, was “an internal advisory for the people of India not to travel to Kashmir, which is unfortunate.”
As per a report, as many as 25,000 pilgrims from Gujarat travel to Amarnath shrine every year.
“No night halts are allowed on the route, except in areas pre-decided by the government of J&K. No bus can run after sunset,” the guidelines have reportedly said.
(Siyasat.net News Desk)
