SRINAGAR, INDIA, July 7, 2022 (VOA News): Amid fear and tight security, a 43-day annual Amarnath Yatra — a Hindu pilgrimage to a cave located 12,750 feet above sea level — is underway in India-administered Kashmir after a gap of three years. Over half a million pilgrims are expected to take part in this year’s Yatra, which began on June 30. According to the latest reports, about 50,000 pilgrims visited the holy shrine within the first few days, defying anxiety over the presently low-intensity insurgency in the Muslim-majority region. Authorities expect a spike in the number of pilgrims this year because of pent-up demand. The Yatra was canceled in 2019 amid widespread lockdowns after the Indian government abruptly revoked the regions’ semi-autonomous status on August 5 of that year. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the event to be postponed in 2020 and 2021.
In view of the security threats, the government of India has deployed army and paramilitary forces along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and State Disaster Response Force teams on the main routes used by pilgrims on their way to the cave. The multiple layers of protection for the pilgrims include drone surveillance, radio frequency identification and hundreds of new CCTV cameras in addition to those already in place. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha told the media on Sunday, “Security forces have coordinated in a better way, and I can say that one of the best arrangements regarding security are in place and by the grace of God, everything is going on well.” In anticipation of medical emergencies, doctors and paramedics have been deployed. Also, two 50-bed hospitals have been set up by the Defense Research and Development Organization with the funds provided by India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
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