Srinagar: As the revered Amarnath Yatra prepares to commence, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief and former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti made a significant address in Pahalgam, the gateway to the holy cave.
Speaking to a diverse gathering including local businessmen, taxi drivers, hoteliers, pony owners, civil society members, and party workers, Mufti highlighted the paramount responsibility of the local populace in ensuring the safety of the visiting pilgrims. ” So, I called here (Pahalgam) all the workers working on the route of Amarnath Yatra, I told them that the locals of Pahalgam have to protect the Amarnath Yatra so that the Yatra takes place well,” Mehbooba told reporters.
Her appeal comes in the wake of a severe decline in tourism following the Baisaran terror attack, which claimed 26 lives and created a significant “trust deficit.” Mufti expressed hope that the Amarnath Yatra would serve as a vital catalyst in rebuilding this trust and rejuvenating the struggling local economy.
The former Chief Minister highlighted the dire economic plight of the region’s tourism-dependent communities. “After the incident that occurred in Baisaran, the situation changed. Tourism halted suddenly, and due to that, 10,000 horse owners of Pahalgam, the local hoteliers, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, auto drivers and sumo drivers are in terrible condition,” she stated
In a direct appeal to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, Mufti requested flexibility in regulations impacting local livelihoods. She specifically urged them to reconsider the rule restricting horse owners to bringing only one horse to the Yatra. “Every horse owner in Pahalgam has more than two horses,” she pointed out, asking the Board to permit them to bring as many horses as they possess to maximise their earnings.
