NEW DELHI, Nov 25: The opponents of the proposed ropeway project to the famous Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu clashed with police at the Katra base camp on Sunday demanding scrapping of the proposal.
The local shopkeepers, pony service providers, labourers and others apprehensive of losing their means of livelihood are up in arms against the proposal to erect ropeway to take the devotees atop the hill to the shrine. Several persons were injured in the clash with police
The protests in Katra stem from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board’s (SMVDSB) decision to proceed with a ₹ 250-crore passenger ropeway project connecting Tarakote Marg to Sanji Chhat. The 2.4-kilometre ropeway, expected to shorten the trek to just six minutes, aims to benefit pilgrims, particularly the elderly and those with limited mobility. However, locals fear the project will devastate their livelihoods.
Hundreds of shopkeepers, porters, and pony service providers participated in a sit-in protest and chanted slogans like “Bharat Mata ki Jai” to voice dissent. The protesters argue that the project will bypass the traditional route, upon which their livelihoods depend.
Prabhat Singh, a leader of the shopkeepers’ association, said, “We will not allow the ropeway project to be implemented in Katra. We have been fighting against it for three years. Assurances were given to us in the past, but now they have gone ahead with the project.”
Protesters on Monday confronted a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle attempting to pass through the demonstration site. In the chaos that followed, the vehicle’s windshield was shattered, and police intervened to restore order. Stones were reportedly thrown at J&K police and CRPF personnel.
Protesters have blocked the main bus stop in Katra through which the buses to the Vaishno Devi shrine run. The Vaishno Devi temple sees an annual footfall of over 80 lakh pilgrims. “The law and order situation has become challenging and we are trying to handle it. Officers are in talks with the protesters to resolve the issue,” the Senior Superintendent of Police of Reasi district Paramvir Singh said.
Initially called as a 72-hour strike on November 22, the protest was extended by an additional day. Despite reassurances from authorities, the protesters demand either the complete withdrawal of the project or compensation for the anticipated economic losses. “The ropeway project will be a game changer, especially for those pilgrims who find it challenging to undertake the 13-km steep trek to the shrine,” the shrine board said in a statement.
(Manas Dasgupta)
