Zeenews Bureau Bhopal, July 03: At least two people were killed in Indore on Thursday when skirmishes broke out between two groups during the BJP-VHP bandh over the Amarnath land deal in Jammu and Kashmir. Section 144 has been imposed in Jhabua to control the situation. A businessman in Satna put himself on fire even as protesters went on a rampage in Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka, MP and other parts of the country. The protests have been extended for another 72 hours in Jammu. Three police stations in Indore- Pandharinath, Chatripura, Khajrana have been put under curfew. Major highways that were temporarily blocked include the Agra-Delhi highway in Delhi and Western Express Highway in Mumbai. Many trains are also being targeted; Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express has been stopped near Agra. The VHP is also taking an active part in the bandh. “The forest act issue is just an excuse,” VHP general secretary Venkatesh Abdeo said. “This is a conspiracy to stop the Amarnath pilgrimage. Tomorrow it will be Vaishnodevi and Tirupati.” Meanwhile, the situation in Jammu remains tense with curfew remained in various parts of the state. In the National Capital Region, major traffic jams have been reported from Vikas Marg in East Delhi and also sporadic incidents are being reported from other areas. There are also reports that Shalimar Express coming to Delhi has been detained near Ghaziabad. There were also reports of VHP activists forcibly shutting shops in the Lakshmi Nagar area. Shops were also closed in Karol Bagh. Delhi Police, however, said adequate security arrangements have been made in view of the strike call and a strict vigil was being maintained. The severity of the bandh is especially strong in NDA ruled states. Major disruptions have been reported in Punjab, where BJP activists have took to the streets in Ludhiana and Jalandhar. In many parts of MP, schools and colleges have been shutdown to prevent any untoward incident. VHP activists damage buses, put blockades in Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur Incidents of stone pelting and road blockades were reported in various parts of the financial capital this morning during the day-long countrywide protest. BJP leader Gopinath Munde was also taken into custody along with a number of supporters. Protesters suspected to be from the VHP today pelted buses with stones in suburban Kandivili damaging five best buses, police said. Hundreds of VHP supporters blocked important arterial roads at Vakola, Malad and Borivili in Northwest Mumbai and in the Northeast suburb of Ghatkopar that caused difficulties to officegoers in reaching their workplaces, they said. The police have, however, dispersed the crowd and ensured a smooth traffic flow. Nobody was reported injured in the incidents of stone pelting and road blockades, police said. The "bharath bandh" turned violent also in Thane city and surrounding areas with activists targeting public transport and other establishments. Incidents of stone pelting on state transport and private vehicles, by VHP activists were reported from various parts of the city including Naupada and Wagle Estate, police said. The members of right wing Hindu organisation were moving around the city since morning with flags in their hands forcing shop owners to down shutters. The activists also disrupted traffic at some places by putting blockades on roads. Meanwhile, at least three activists have been arrested in connection with the incidents in Naupada, they said. Sporadic incidents of stone pelting were also reported from Kalyan, Dombivili and other parts of the district. No report of anybody getting injured during the incidents was received. Even in Nagpur incidents of stone pelting were reported from Dighori and few places in south and eastern part of the city, said police. Some activists damaged about eight buses late last night in eastern part of city, they said. Shops, business establishments and educational institutions were closed in most parts. Bandh evokes good response in parts of Karnataka Shops and business establishments in several parts of Karnataka remained closed today with the state's bus services hit following the countrywide bandh called by the BJP over the Amarnath shrine board land transfer issue. However, the bandh evoked little response in the state capital. Government offices functioned normally and public transport vehicles plied as usual in Bangalore though the traffic wore a thin look. Normalcy was affected in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysore, Kodagu as well as in Hubli-Dharwad, among others, where bus services were also hit. Police said they have made adequate precautionary measures to maintain law and order in the BJP-ruled state, where the party's state-unit has extended full support to the bandh. The bandh was however not supported by the government. "Since it is not a government-sponsored bandh, all government offices as well as schools and colleges will function normally," a police official said. He said democratic protests would be allowed in the city. "Necessary protection will be given to those who seek the same," the official said. "Apart from organising bandobusts in all the districts and Bangalore City, additional measures have been taken in sensitive areas," he said, adding that intensive patrolling in the city were arranged. Earlier yesterday, fifty people were injured, including 13 in a grenade attack by militants on a rally in Bhaderwah, as Jammu saw stepped-up violence against the Amarnath land transfer revocation, forcing authorities to deploy the army in sensitive areas. They said Jammu-Srinagar, Jammu-Poonch and Jammu-Pathankot highways were also clogged with Kashmiri migrants and activists of Hindu groups squatting at various points. Demanding removal of Governor N N Vohra for revoking the order transferring forestland to Amarnath shrine board, BJP, VHP and Shiv Sena activists fought pitched battles with police at various places. source zee news
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Thursday, July 3, 2008
Amarnath row: BJP-VHP bandh turns violent, 2 killed
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Amarnath vs Haj
The unfortunate events in Jammu & Kashmir regarding the transfer of land by the government to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board call for each one's urgent attention and involvement.
What began as a simple effort to facilitate Amarnath pilgrims has suddenly developed communal and political overtones. This is appalling when compared to the facilities offered to the Haj and the Vaishno Devi pilgrims.
In an attempt to bring this to the attention of every responsible citizen of India, we would like you to have the benefit of some facts stated below.
In keeping with public policy statements, the Government of India makes elaborate arrangements for the welfare of Haj pilgrims and strives to improve the facilities provided to them every year. That is how it should be. The Government of India, and the ministry of external affairs in particular, deserves credit for providing perhaps the best arrangements that any government makes for their Haj pilgrims.
For eg: As reported in a newspaper article, here are the facts about the facilities provided to Haj pilgrims.
1. To begin with, the government provides an airfare subsidy to about 100,000 pilgrims selected by the Haj Committee of India who go for Haj annually. Pilgrims pay only Rs 12,000 for their air travel. This figure has remained unchanged for at least a decade or more. According to official figures, this subsidy was Rs 280 crores in 2006, or about Rs 28,000 per pilgrim. Today, with rising fuel prices, this figure would have gone up to Rs 350-400 crore. There is also a seperate Haj Terminal at Delhi International Airport.
2. There is a separate Haj cell in the ministry of external affairs. The Haj Committee of India has its own premises in Mumbai. Similarly the State Haj Committees have their own premises in various other Indian cities. These facilities have been built on land provided by the state governments.
3. Accommodation in Mecca and Medina is decided keeping in mind the need to provide maximum convenience and comfort to the pilgrims. Typically, all accommodation has lifts, telephones, running water, electricity and telephone at the minimum. There is total computerisation of pilgrim location and movement.
4. For Haj 2007, a contingent of 115 doctors (including 63 specialists with post-graduate degrees) and 141 nurses and other para-medical staff, 3 coordinators, 46 assistant Haj officers, 165 Haj assistants and 186 Khadimul Hujjaj were sent from India on short-term deputation to Saudi Arabia. Special attention is given to medical facilities for the pilgrims.
5. Some of the facilities provided by the government are: arrangements for polio, meningitis and influenza vaccinations for pilgrims before departure; a 75-bed hospital and 12 branch offices-cum-dispensaries in Mecca; a 15-bed hospital and 6 branch offices-cum-dispensaries in Medina; three medical teams at Jeddah airport to provide medical care round the clock to Haj pilgrims; 17 ambulances in Mecca and Medina; supply of medicines, medical supplies and critical medical equipment from India. All this adds up to the total money spent by the government to facilitate a hassle-free Haj pilgrimage each year for tens of thousands of Muslims from India.
What is due to one community by logic and fair practice is due to another. And yet in a discriminatory treatment lakhs of pilgrims who have been going to Amarnath for years have been denied basic human facilities. The question is what took them so long to consider these facilities and not whether or not they should be provided.
There isn't any adequate medical and sanitary facilities for the pilgrims of Amarnath Shrine. As the agitation continues, it has been reported that a water bottle costing Rs 14 was sold at Rs 70. And a khacchar or a pony that took pilgrims at the cost of Rs 1,500 charged an abominable Rs 10,000. Compare this with the subsidies for Haj Pilgrims. Buses of pilgrims were also stoned by unruly elements.
The whole agitation was started by the Peoples Democratic Party on the absurd presumption that providing these basic facilities to the travelling pilgrims will result in a changed "eco-cultural character" of the state. Does this imply that Kashmir only has a "Muslim" character?
Kashmir originally and lawfully belongs to both Hindus and Muslims. Nevertheless, 4,00,000 Kashmiri Pandits were driven out of Kashmir and are living as refugees and now even the very thought of Hindus settling in Kashmir is creating such violent repercussions. Is this a sign of a secular, healthy, fair society?
Even if we were to presume that it has a Muslim character, how can travelling pilgrims possibly change eco-cultural character of a place. Can there be a likelihood of someone settling down at the height of 13,500 ft? There can not be any possibility of Hindus settling down in the proposed land.
It is ironical that though the Hindus are being denied basic hospitable facilities to enable their pilgrimage, the temporary, pre-fabricated shelters built by the Amarnath Shrine Board were dismantled and sent for emergency relief operations during the earthquake in Kashmir in October 2005. "About 60-70 pre-fab shelters were sent to Uri and Tangdhar, where they housed thousands," a senior Government official is reported to have said. "The Amarnath Board also sent pre-fab toilets. There was no objection from any political party at that point."
For centuries pilgrims have been making the arduous trip to Amarnath cave without any benefit from the state. They have to depend to private philanthropy for food, accommodation and other facilities. It is shameful that people have lived in torn taurpaulin tents. But a caring State in independent India can and should do more.
View online exhibition on exodus and selective killings of 4,00,000 Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir at http://refugees-in-their-own-country.blogspot.com/.
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