In Indian Kashmir, the courts find themselves at the center of a political-religious battle. Each year, Hindu pilgrims flock to the cave of Armanath where the image of the god Shiva in the form of a lingam is formed by an ice stalagmite. This year, according to a report published today in Express India, controversy rages over the length of the pilgrimage, known as the Amarnath yatra, and who has the right to set the dates for it.
Traditionally the yatra extends for 59 days in the month of Shravan (July-August). In the last few years, because of the security concerns in Kashmir, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has reduced the yatra to one month. But this year, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has scheduled the yatra for the traditional 59 days-- June 21 to August 19. This follows a decision of a single bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir that the Shrine Board has the sole power to set the yatra dates. The Kashmir government is appealing this decision to the full High Court. However, coalition partners who are part of that government disagree. In the face of the appeal, Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma announced that the government will make security arrangements for a traditional 59-day yatra.
In another report today by The Pioneer, this dispute is described in more political terms: "Jammu and Kashmir has been witnessing a rare convergence of three political parties - Congress, National Conference and Bhartiya Janta Party - for the first time in the history of the state politics.... [A]ll these political parties want to teach their common enemy - PDP leader and Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed - a bitter lesson and have already joined hands to check his growing influence over day-to-day working of the Shri Amarnath Shrine board in the run- up to the annual pilgrimage in South Kashmir starting from June 21."
