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Amarnath yatra begins amidst tight security
Jammu:
The first batch of one thousand Amarnath yatris began their pilgrimage
to the holy shrine after its formal commencement on Sunday amidst tight
security. Security forces have been put on a high alert along the entire
route of the Amarnath yatra to ensure the safety of the pilgrims. Officials
said they have put in place a three-tier surveillance, complete with chopper
surveys, specially trained commando lookouts and hundreds of foot soldiers
frisking the mountain range. Besides the state police, central paramilitary
forces like the Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force
have also been pressed into service. On Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief
Ghulam Nabi Azad on visited the Amarnath cave and offered prayers. He
also met the pilgrims and asked them about any difficulties that they
had to face on their way to one of the most difficult terrain of world,
which stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet (3,888 metres) above the
sea level. After offering the prayers, Azad said that the presence of
the holy site in the state was a matter of pride and blessing for its
people, saying people from all over the country find peace and happiness
here. He also too stock of the security situation and said the administration
here was very efficient and the security cover was very impeccable. "To
provide protection to the pilgrims in one of the most hostile environment
is really a thing to praise our security personnel," he had said.
-June 11, 2006
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