‘It takes us around 3 days to reach Pehalgam, but we have only 12 hours journey to reach Sheshnag’

I suffer a lot due to COVID, not because of the deadly virus, but financial problems, I work during Amarnath Yatra every year and earn Rs 35000-40000, it constitutes a major part of my annual income, the Yatra could not take place after August 2019, remembers Gulam Ahmed Mir with a fear on his face, what would be if they are not allowed to enter from Sheshnag route, which reduces their journey form 60 hours (via Pehalgam) to 12 hours.

“To reach Pehalgam we have to walk for 60 hours that too by crossing Margantop situated at 14500 feet from the sea level. Earlier, we use to join the Yatra from Sheshnag, but four years back the administration ban entry from Sheshnag point”, says Gulam Ahmed Mir. “At least 2500 people from Marwah Sub-division of Kishtwar provide their services during the Yatra, including labour and Ponywalas”, he says, adding that if the administration does restore entry from Sheshnag, the people of this area will suffer huge lose.

“Labour during the Yatra is major source of income for their area. We appeal Lt. Guv. Manoj Sinha Sahab to consider our genuine demand and restore our entry from earlier route. We have very limited sources of income here, the labour and the Ponywalas earn Rs 35000-40000 every year from the Yatra”, he says. It is pertinent to mention here that this year the historic Amarnath Yatra will take place after of gap of three years. The Yatra was stopped in middle of its schedule due terror threats in August 2019, and further the Yatra remained suspended for year 2020 and 2021 due COVID restriction. Majority of the population of Marwah sub division depends on labour for their earning, since they don’t have any other medium of income in their respective areas.