From 1990 to 2019, Amarnath Yatra Has Never Been An Easy Journey

Scores of tourists and Amarnath pilgrims were asked to immediately cut short their trip and leave the Kashmir valley by the Jammu and Kashmir administration amidst intelligence inputs of terror threats on Friday, 2 August.

This unprecedented advisory which indicated towards a significant security scenario, caused grave panic and havoc among the people in Srinagar. People were seen queuing up in front of ATMs, petrol pumps and medical stores to stock up, reported NDTV.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Shah Faesal, Sajid Lone and Imran Ansari had approached Governor Satya Pal Malik over the fear-mongering environment that was building up in the valley. The governor requested them to stay calm and not believe any rumours that were doing the rounds.

While situations seem extremely tense as of now, the Amarnath Yatra since 1996 has never been an easy go for the pilgrims – always marred by terror attacks, bad weather and unrest in the valley.

Tragedy of 1996

From the year 1991 to 1995, the pilgrimage was banned due to threats from terrorist organisations and in the year 1993, Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Ansar announced a ban on the annual yatra, reported Rediff. Finally in 1996, when the militants agreed to not interfere with the Yatra and risk the life of pilgrims, it resumed in a much greater number.

But in the month of August, unusually heavy snowfall along with severe blizzards claimed the lives of nearly 250 yatris (pilgrims) as neither the pilgrims nor the state government, which in that year was going for elections, was prepared for a tragedy of this scale, according to The Tribune.

Over 263 dead bodies were found in and about the surroundings of the temple.

Pilgrimage Massacre In 2000

Almost 32 people including 21 unarmed Hindu pilgrims, 7 unarmed Muslim civilians and 3 security force officers were massacred in a two hour long shoot out by Kashmiri separatists on 2 August 2000, according to BBC News. Many pilgrims fled the town following the incident.

Then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee blamed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the killings. 

13 Killed In 2001

On 20 July 2001, 13 people lost their lives while 15 were gravely injured when a militant hurled grenades at a camp and later fired indiscriminately near the Amarnath cave, according to The Hindu. Two police officials also lost their lives, reports Firstpost.

LeT Strikes Again In 2002

Third consecutive year, the pilgrimage came under attack when LeT’s front group of al-Mansuriyan attacked Pahalgham of the Amarnath Hindu pilgrimage, killing 11 and injuring 30 people, reported Kashmir Herald.

The attack took place on two dates, 30 July and 6 August 2002. 

5 Pilgrims Injured In 2006

After 4 years, the Yatra was again disturbed when five pilgrims from Rajasthan were injured as militants hurled a grenade at their bus at Beehama in Ganderbal, 23 kilometres from Srinagar, Reddif reports.

Biggest Terror Attack On Amarnath Yatra

According to The Quint ,Seven Amarnath pilgrims, six of them women, were killed in a terrorist attack and 32 others were injured in Anantnag on 10 July 2017.

After 11 years, when the pilgrimage came under attack it was reported as one of the worst since a long time. The attack was heavily condemned by PM Narendra Modi and various other leaders like the then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, former Chief Minister of the state, Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference party leader, Omar Abdullah.

Internet services were banned right after the attack to prevent any rumour and fear mongering among the people.