Mehbooba urges L-G to reconsider Vaishno Devi ropeway project

Asserting that religious places should not be converted into tourism hotspots, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday requested Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to reconsider constructing a ropeway on the trek leading to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district.

The former chief minister also demanded immediate withdrawal of an FIR against anti-ropeway protesters over the recent violence in Katra town, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the revered shrine atop Trikuta hills.

“The livelihood of shopkeepers, labourers and others are linked to the pilgrimage and they are bound to face a lot of problems (after construction of the ropeway). The government should think that it is a religious place and be treated like one instead of converting it into a tourism spot,” Mehbooba said after meeting the members of the Maa Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti and other stakeholders in Katra on Saturday.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president said there were several places with tourism potential in Jammu and Kashmir. “This is a place of reverence where a devotee comes with a pure heart to seek blessings of the Mata. Construction of the ropeway will not only bypass three important locations enroute to the shrine but also snatch the livelihood of thousands of locals,” Mehbooba said.

Jammu and Kashmir is already grappling with the country’s highest unemployment rate as government jobs are nowhere and private investment is not coming, she claimed. “People who earn their livelihood by means of labour work with the blessings of the Mata will lose the opportunity after the ropeway’s construction,” she said.

Calling upon the Lieutenant Governor, who heads the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, to immediately review the decision and engage with stakeholders to find an alternative that safeguards the livelihoods of local residents and respects the sentiments of devotees, Mufti underscored the need for development that aligns with the welfare of the local population and preserves the spiritual essence of the shrine.

The PDP leader also demanded the withdrawal of an FIR registered against the anti-ropeway protesters last week following a clash between them and law enforcing agencies. “When you snatch livelihood opportunities from people, protests are bound to happen. We are living in a democracy and it is the right of the people to protest,” he said.

According to the PDP, the Sangarsh Samiti expressed hope that their “concerns would be addressed through dialogue and that the authorities would prioritise the welfare of the affected community.”