Katra: Just two days after the release of 18 jailed protesters, Jammu MP Jugal Kishore Sharma met with members of the Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti in Katra. He described their demand to cancel the proposed Rs 300-crore ropeway project connecting Katra town to Sanji Chhat as “genuine” and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.
“I stand with the protesters and will ensure that their demands are met. Our attempt is that the ropeway should not be installed at Tarakot, and its location should be changed. If the Sangharsh Samiti wants it at a different place, that’s okay, otherwise, the project should be called off,” said Kishore while speaking to the media after the meeting.
His visit follows the appearance of posters across Katra labeling him as “missing”. The posters featured the message: “Missing MP. Where are you?”
Katra town has been witnessing protests for over a month and a half, with locals, business communities, and pony operators opposing the ropeway project.
The protesters, led by Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, have said that the project, if executed, will snatch the livelihoods of over 60,000 families, including hoteliers, shopkeepers, pony operators, labourers, and transporters.
“The ropeway project goes against the interests of the people of Katra. It not only threatens to take away their livelihoods but also disrupts the sanctity of our Hindu religion, as the proposed route mirrors the exact path Mata Vaishno Devi once followed,” said Bali Ram, Chairman of the Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti.
Political parties, including the National Conference (NC), Congress, and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have also voiced their support for the protestors, urging the central government to heed their demands. And, initially hesitant, BJP MLA Baldev Raj Sharma joined the protestors on the fourth day of the agitation.
Following BJP’s Jugal Kishore Sharma’s supportive statement, protestors are now hopeful the project will be scrapped.
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The project
The project, undertaken by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, aims to significantly cut down the 14-km trek to the shrine. Currently, the journey takes 6 to 7 hours on foot. The proposed ropeway is expected to reduce the travel time from Katra to Sanji Chhat to just six minutes, followed by a 40-minute walk to the shrine.
On 25 December, 2024, around 18 protestors demonstrating at Shalimar Garden were arrested following a police lathi charge. The arrests sparked sharp criticism from political parties and led to a week-long shutdown in Katra, with businesses closing in solidarity. However, on 1 January, the detained protestors were released, and LG Manoj Sinha directed the formation of a committee to initiate talks with stakeholders to address the concerns.
“There were talks between the civil society members and the administration. It was decided that those arrested will be released and the locals promised to reopen the markets in Katra,” Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, said to the reporters.
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Protest ke time nazar nahi ayi ye neta log only through statement support it’s a dirty politics…katra is Hindu religious place Mata is sitting their and wait for Bhagwat Ram ji if any one disturb her bhagti will be punished by Mata rani…esliye politics mat Karo Mata ke sath….Mata ke Darshano ko assan banate banate khai Hisab na dena pare Mata ko aur phir jo Saza miley gi uske liye tyar rehna hoga…neta sirf power ke nashay mein hote hein eska unko baad mein pata chalta hai
These people are leeches – profiting off the hapless pilgrims’ dependence on them.
These crooked people with their vested interests are the ones who make tourism and pilgrimage a nightmare in India.
Unfortunately, political parties, instead of thinking long-term and investing in tourism-enabling infrastructure, bow down to their demands just for the sake of votes.
This spineless BJP MP must ask himself -“How is India supposed to become Viksit Bharat with this mindset?”