Srinagar in rage against land transfer to shrine

HOLY ROW: Protesters in Srinagar demonstrate against the land transfer.

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Srinagar: The controversial allotment of forestland to the Amarnath shrine board took a violent turn on Tuesday when a person who was injured while protesting against the state government’s decision died.

Srinagar has been tense since Monday after dozens were injured during police firing on Monday. Authorities last week said nearly 100 acres of forestland in Batal was being transferred to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) to erect temporary structures for thousands of pilgrims who annually trek to the cave shrine.

Critics say building “permanent” structures at base camps of the pilgrimage will ruin the fragile ecology of the mountainous region but the state government has rejected their claim.

Separatist leader Yasin Malik has threatened to fast unto death if the government failed to scrap the allotment of forestland to the SASB.

Protests against the land allotment continued on Tuesday with security forces clashing with youths at Nowhatta in Srinagar. Police lobbed teargas shells and baton charged protestors at Nowhatta, Bohri Kadal and Hawal in Srinagar.

Traffic in the city is severely affected and shops are closed in many areas. Additional security personnel have been deployed in downtown Srinagar and Maisuma.

The police have put over 20 separatist leaders under house arrest in order to prevent protest demonstrations against the land allotment to SASB.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairperson of the hard-line Hurriyat faction, has said the protests would continue till the government revokes the allotment. "Transfer of forestland to SASB is a conspiracy to change the demography of the Valley. We will not allow this ploy to succeed," he said.