JAMMU: Tensions soared in Katra as a 72-hour shutdown against the proposed ropeway project from Tarakote Marg to Sanjhi Chhat began today. Clashes broke out between police and protesters, leading to detentions and chaos in the pilgrim town.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, backed by local stakeholders, called for the three-day strike to oppose the ropeway plan. The protestors, including pony owners, shopkeepers, and transport operators, claim the project threatens their livelihoods by bypassing traditional routes.
Business establishments remained closed, roads appeared deserted, and essential services were paralyzed, leaving thousands of pilgrims stranded. Protest leader Bhupinder Singh accused authorities of neglecting public concerns. “This project endangers the livelihood of many and undermines the spiritual essence of the pilgrimage,” he said.
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The situation escalated as police stopped a protest march, using mild force to disperse demonstrators. Clashes ensued, and 17 individuals, including key protest leaders, were detained. Six detainees have reportedly begun a hunger strike in custody.
Political leaders joined the protests, expressing solidarity with the locals. BJP leader and former minister Ajay Nanda criticized the project, saying, “Development should uplift livelihoods, not destroy them. This ropeway bypasses traditional paths and renders locals jobless.”
Former minister Jugal Kishore Sharma condemned the use of force, emphasizing, “The administration should resolve this through dialogue, not aggression.”
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Pilgrims, meanwhile, bore the brunt of the shutdown. “We are stuck without food or shelter, and this disruption is deeply distressing,” shared a pilgrim from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Protesters are demanding the scrapping of the ropeway project, insisting it would decimate their traditional businesses. Similar shutdowns have been observed in the past, underscoring the town’s simmering tensions over the issue.