Pithus, pony and palanquin owners, plying on the route of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra, called for three-day strike to protest against the proposed ropeway project on Friday. A group of protestors staged demonstration in Katra and raised slogans against the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, demanding that it shelves the ropeway project failing which it will intensify its stir.
Pithus, pony and palanquin operators, who earn daily wage from the Vaishno Devi pilgrims yatra are enraged over the proposed move to connect Tarakot Marg with Sanjhi Chhat and have also undertaken similar stir earlier to register their strong reservations against the project.
A couple of protestors speaking to IANS said that the ropeway project/gondola will be detrimental to their livelihood and they are left with no option other than to block it. They claimed that their strike also has the backing of locals as they stand to lose heavily if ropeway project is built.
Sonu Qyum, a local sharing his frustration stated, "We are on a three-day strike against the Shrine Board's decision to implement the ropeway on Tarakote Marg. They are trying to bypass the traditional path that has been used by generations of pilgrims.
He stressed the deep connection of devouts with the old pilgrimage route and raised concerns over it, if the project proceeds.
"Porters, who rely on the pilgrimage route for their livelihoods, are particularly vocal in their opposition. What are they doing to us?" asked a pithu owner.
"Breaking mountains for this ropeway? It will take away our jobs and the livelihoods of more than 5,000 shopkeepers who rely on the pilgrimage. If any politician supports us, we will support them in the elections. Those who do not care for the poor, we will ensure they lose the next election," he said.
Another protestor added, "We're protesting because we believe this ropeway project is damaging our faith. The Shrine Board says it's for the elderly, but even they don't want it. This is about preserving the tradition and not turning Vaishno Devi into a tourist spot."
According to reports, the Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited (RITES) recently initiated the bidding process for the approximately 2.4-kilometre ropeway project, aiming to connect Katra with the Vaishno Devi shrine in just six minutes.
The Vaishno Devi shrine, a hugely popular pilgrim spot for Hindu devotees is visited by close to 1 crore pilgrims every year.
(With inputs from IANS)
