JAMMU: The busy town of Katra, where many people start their journey to the Vaishno Devi shrine, is facing a strange situation. Protests against a new ropeway project have been happening for six days. The protests are led by a group called the Sangharsh Samiti, and many political parties are supporting them. Because of the protests, life in Katra has come to a stop. Usually, many pilgrims visit the shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Trikuta hills.
The protests began on December 25 after the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board announced a Rs 250-crore ropeway project. This project is supposed to connect the Katra base camp to Sanjhi Chhat, which is close to the shrine. The protesters, led by Beli Ram Rana, believe that the project will hurt local people who rely on the pilgrimage for their jobs. They want the project canceled and the release of 18 young people who were arrested during earlier protests.
Most businesses in Katra are closed because of the strike, but some hotels and restaurants are still open, which has upset the protesters. Five men are on a hunger strike at Shridhar Chowk to support the protests. Rakesh Wazir, the President of the Hotels and Restaurants Association, said that no new bookings would be taken after December 31, and that businesses would close to support the movement.
Many political leaders have come to Katra to show their support. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, along with leaders from different parties, spoke to the protesters at Shridhar Chowk and Shalimar Park. Choudhary said it is important to balance development with the needs of local people and warned that the ropeway project could hurt the local economy. He promised to talk to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha about the issue and called for the release of the detained youths.
Local MLA Baldev Raj Sharma said he will start his own hunger strike if the detained youths are not released within 24 hours. He supports the protesters but mentioned that some political leaders think the detainees may not be released unless the project is canceled, which he believes is not fair.
Other important people, like former Minister Ajay Nanda and Congress leaders Yogesh Sawhney and Vijay Sharma, have also joined the protests. Nanda criticized the government for not understanding how determined the people of Jammu are, especially the Dogra community. Sawhney called for a quick solution to the problem.
Meanwhile, posters have appeared in Katra saying that Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma is “missing,” showing that locals are frustrated with their elected representatives for not responding. Protesters say that real discussions are needed to solve the issue, but they claim that no officials have talked to them yet.
As the strike continues, there are worries about how it will affect the thousands of pilgrims who visit the Vaishno Devi shrine every day. This situation shows a bigger problem about development and its effects on local communities, which remains unsolved as the protests go on.
