By Arun Pratap Singh
Kedarnath (Rudrprayag), 31 May: On the initiative of the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, Mahindra Thar vehicle has been brought to Kedarnath, keeping in mind the convenience of pilgrims at Kedarnath Dham. A Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Army today airlifted the Thar Jeep to Kedarnath, while a second Thar is planned to be delivered in Kedarnath by tomorrow. The Tourism Department claims that the initiative has been taken so that elderly, sick and disabled devotees can be taken to the temple and may not have to walk on foot from the helipad till the temple. The tourism department claims that the elderly and sick or disabled pilgrims will now get the opportunity to complete this journey by sitting in the Mahindra Thar. However, the move has also generated wide criticism and questions are being raised about the real motive behind this move.
Those criticising the move claim that the move appears to be aimed at ensuring convenience for the VIPs coming to the temple and to take them to the temple from the Helipad rather than to serve the elderly, sick or the disabled. In addition, three battery-operated golf vans are also being delivered there. In total, five vehicles have been arranged to help the pilgrims. The Thar that arrived today was welcomed by the priests of Kedarnath Dham and they performed Puja of the vehicle.
This is not the first time that vehicles have been used in Kedarnath. Even during the disaster, dumpers, JCBs and other machines have been brought here in the past and are still being used in reconstruction work. Those opposing the move claim that only battery-operated vehicles ought to have been taken to Kedarnath and that there was no need for diesel operated ones to serve the elderly, the sick and disabled pilgrims. They apprehend that the two Thar vehicles will only ensure the convenience of VIPs coming for Darshan at Kedarnath from the helipad and the Kedarnath Base Camp.
