Lalit Koul, president of the Indo-American Kashmir Forum, counters the two primary objections to the transfer of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for the putting up of shelters for the benefit of devotees, on rediff.com:
1. The allotment would have adversely affected the environment around the area. One wonders where these tree-hugging environmentalists were when the same government allowed the felling of 10,000 forest trees to build the 89 km-long Mughal road.
“40 hectares of land that was going to be used to provide temporary shelters and night-time facilities to pilgrims was in fact going to help in proper maintenance of the current day waste that actually pollutes the environment. But who can argue with senseless politicians who instigate people to come out on the streets?
2. The allotment is the government’s ploy to settle Hindus from outside the state to change the demographics of the valley. Look, who is talking! One has to only go back 18 years in the history and check who changed the demographics of the valley.
“Islamic terrorists changed the demographics of the valley by ethnically cleansing Kashmiri Hindus from the valley. I wonder where these we-do-not-want-to-change-demographics-folks were when Kashmiri Hindus were slaughtered and the valley’s demographics were altered.”
Read the full article: Appeasement is never good for a nation
Link via Rajeev A. Rao
Er. You really believe in the environment theory? That is a red herring. The flag may be of the same colour, but it is not about the environment at all. Has never been. Tell me you did not know that?
Environmental “concerns” are humbug. Nothing much grows in that area. This is not Ooty or Nainital. We’re talking of upper Himalayas, which are covered with grass at best, if not covered with snow. Hundreds of trees were cut for four-laning of Bangalore – Mysore road. Remember the nostalgic old times when one travelled under a canopy of overhanging branches from both sides of the road as one travelled to Mysore from Bangalore? Shade throughout. It was a beautiful drive. They will have to cut not a single tree in Baltal area to build toilets, because there are not many trees there to begin with.
One difference. The Islamic Terrorists were foreign-sponsored, and even with their Indian sympathizers included they still did not represent the majority-sentiment of the state. Which is very different from the kind of people protesting now, and the sentiment driving them- common Kashmiri’s, and not just a fraction but across the board. The first point might be bogus, but the 2nd is probably not, considering the circumstances under which the Shrine Board operated.
Latest green Japanese technology have been used for enviromental protection there. Few local contractors who lost the job were used to further systemetic propaganda.
All families who used to take part of Amarnath collection were compensated one time, but we are told about only one Muslim family.
Above all, J&K high court, Indian supreme Court looked into this land issue vis-a-vis environment, and cleared it.
Another lie that is propagated that Amarnath yatra is only 150 years old. This yatra is oldest in human history, mentioned in the religious text which are dated eaily 3000 years old.