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Hindus person embarked connected a monthlong pilgrimage successful Muslim-majority Indian-administered Kashmir, with galore of the faithful connected Thursday starting from adjacent the tract wherever a deadly onslaught successful April triggered a four-day struggle betwixt India and Pakistan, which propelled the portion to the cusp of their 5th all-out war.
Last year, fractional a cardinal devotees took portion successful the Amarnath pilgrimage to a ineffable crystal pillar, located successful a cave successful the forested Himalayan hills supra the municipality of Pahalgam, wherever gunmen connected April 22 killed 26 mostly Hindu tourists.
New Delhi said the gunmen were backed by Pakistan, claims Islamabad vehemently rejected, mounting disconnected a bid of tit-for-tat diplomatic measures that past erupted into a four-day struggle connected May 7.
It was the worst standoff by the nuclear-armed nations since 1999, with much than 70 radical killed successful missile, drone and artillery occurrence connected some sides, earlier a ceasefire was declared connected May 10.
“Pilgrims I spoke to earlier said they were disquieted astir the information astatine first, but present consciousness harmless aft seeing the beardown information arrangements,” said Al Jazeera’s Umar Mehraj, reporting from Pahalgam.
“The April onslaught has made this year’s pilgrimage much cautious and technology-based, with the highest level of information ever, with astir 600 further paramilitary units having been deployed, making it the astir heavy guarded pilgrimage truthful far,” helium added.
Pilgrim Muneshwar Das Shashtri, who travelled from Uttar Pradesh state, told the AFP quality bureau that “there is nary fearfulness of immoderate kind.
“Our service is lasting defender everywhere. No 1 tin rise a digit towards us,” helium said.
India has ramped up information for the event, deploying 45,000 soldiers with high-tech surveillance tools to oversee the gruelling trek to the high-altitude cave, dedicated to the Hindu deity of destruction, Shiva.
“We person multi-layered and in-depth information arrangements truthful that we tin marque the pilgrimage harmless and creaseless for the devotees,” said VK Birdi, constabulary main for the territory.
Surveillance systems similar information cameras and facial designation person been acceptable up, arsenic good arsenic checkpoints, added Mehraj, with paramilitary posts each 100 metres (330ft).
‘Public assurance is returning’
All pilgrims indispensable beryllium registered and question successful guarded conveyance convoys until they commencement connected the walk.
Camouflaged bunkers person been erected successful the forests on the route, wherever dozens of makeshift kitchens supply escaped food, and physics vigor cards pinpoint their location.
Pilgrims tin instrumentality respective days to scope the cave, perched astatine 3,900 metres (12,800ft) high, astir 30km (20 miles) uphill from the past easy motorable track.
“Whatever the onslaught that was carried retired here, I americium not afraid. I person travel to get a glimpse of baba (the crystal formation),” said Ujwal Yadav, 29, from India’s Uttar Pradesh state, undertaking his archetypal pilgrimage to the shrine.
“Such are the information arrangements present that nary 1 tin beryllium hurt.”
Manoj Sinha, the Indian-appointed apical head for Jammu and Kashmir, said “public assurance is returning”, but admits that pilgrim registration had dipped by 10 percent this year.
Once a modest, little-known ritual attended by lone a fewer 1000 chiefly section devotees, the pilgrimage has grown since an equipped rebellion erupted successful 1989.
India’s authorities has since heavy promoted the yearly event, which runs until August 9.
Rebels warring against India’s subject beingness successful Kashmir person said the pilgrimage is not a target, but person warned they would enactment if it is utilized to asseverate Hindu dominance.
The gunmen who carried retired the April 22 killings stay astatine large, contempt the manhunt by information forces successful Kashmir, wherever India has fractional a cardinal soldiers permanently deployed.
On June 22, India’s National Investigation Agency said 2 men had been arrested from the Pahalgam area, who they said had “provided food, structure and logistical support” to the gunmen.
Indian constabulary person issued wanted notices for 3 of the gunmen, 2 of whom they said were Pakistani citizens.
In 2017, suspected rebels attacked a pilgrim bus, sidesplitting 11 people.
Source:
Al Jazeera and quality agencies
English (US) ·