STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Questioning the veracity of the statement on welcoming tourist in the Valley, Jammu Paryatan Vikas Mandal (JPVM) urged upon the separatist leaders in Valley to shun the policy of supporting violence and giving calendar calls for Bandhs and strikes, if they are really interested in bringing back the tourism on its rails as tourism and terrorism cannot go together.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, Chairman JPVM, Inderjeet Khajuria said that the tourists planning trip to the Valley spend their hard earned money to have solace and enjoy the natural scenic beauty but instead had to face irate mobs, stone-pelters causing injuries, smashing their vehicles, all sort of inconvenience including insult and misbehavior with their lady companions and had to remain closeted in the hotel rooms. They feel offended and shift their future strips to other states, he added.
In a pointed reference to the disturbances caused to Amarnath Yatra, Khajuria said that it has become a historical routine that throughout the year the Valley remains calm and peaceful to avail full benefits and harvest full tourists season right upto June but once the Amarnath Yatra approaches during July/August the separatists become active and cause disturbance and disruption in the smooth running of Yatra on one pretext to the other.
“This year terrorist Burhan Wani encounter has been a tool for separatists Hurriyat to spearhead an unending turmoil in the Valley till today washing away not only Amarnath Yatra, after 8th July but also resulted in snatching away livelihood from poor families dependant on tourism only. Disturbance whether in the Valley or in Jammu affects adversely on the economy of the State which is solely dependent on tourism in all the three regions I.e, Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir,” he stated.
