Amarnath Yatra resumes in Kashmir amidst curfew

The Amarnath Yatra resumed on Tuesday after four days. It had been stopped in the wake of violent communal clashes in several parts of Kashmir, most notably in Kishtwar.

Curfew was clamped in many parts of the state on August 11, following incidents of arson and violence after a clash between Hindus and Muslims in Kishtwar region in which two people were killed and several others injured.

Nearly 1,000 pilgrims were stranded in Jammu city, waiting for their onward journey to the Amarnath cave.

The pilgrims stranded in Jammu city expressed joy on being able to continue their pilgrimage.

They also said that they were pleased with the arrangements made for them at their temporary abode.

The pilgrims approved the decision of stopping the pilgrimage in wake of the tension prevailing in the valley.

One of the pilgrims Rakhi said: "The reason for the halt was our safety, keeping in mind the clashes that were happening. I believe that it was a right step because if something happened to any of the passengers, then they would have been accountable. The facilities at the places where we were staying were very good. The food was very good and the place was neat and clean. We do not have any complaints. They thought about our security and I feel their decision was right."

The Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage attracts huge crowd of devout Hindus from different parts of the country. So far, over 250,000 devotees have undertaken the pilgrimage this year.

Although, the indefinite curfew is still imposed in many districts but the authorities have decided to restart the pilgrimage with high security in place.

The pilgrims stranded in Jammu city also said that they were happy with the security arrangements and felt secure with the officials, who will be accompanying the tourists on the holy pilgrimage.

Another pilgrim Hiramartha said that the security arrangements were very good and pilgrims faced no problems and though the curfew continued in some parts but the security officials and other agencies made sure that the Amarnath Yatra was not stopped.

There were communal clashes in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtawar district on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, left two persons dead and several others injured.

Curfew was clamped in three more districts of Udhampur, Samba and Kathua in Jammu region and Army staged flag marches as tension prevailed following outbreak of communal violence in Kishtwar.

Curfew was imposed in Rajouri after incidents of stone- pelting and protests triggered communal tension in the border town.