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Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Indian Express
MiG-29K T-shirts, faith in Army, and a call from Bhole Baba: An unprecedented Amarnath Yatra picks up
The whirring of the helicopter blades breaks the silence in the lush green mountains of Pahalgam. Every few minutes, an armoured vehicle rumbles past, with the personnel inside scanning the crowd. It is palpable that this year's Amarnath Yatra is taking place under the shadow of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, wherein 26 civilians were killed on the picturesque meadows in southern Kashmir. It used to be a celebration where devotees would jibe to EDM remixes of the latest devotional songs. This time, at the Nunwan base camp, the first campsite for the yatris, there is silence – no melodies that sadhus play, no shouts of Bum Bum Bhole. Instead, what's audible is the sound of metal detectors and a loudspeaker that regularly warns pilgrims not to go near the Lidder River, where chances of drowning are high. The yatris navigate through several security measures, including RFID tags that enable facial recognition, a physical pat-down, and bag examination through X-ray machines. The camp is equipped with 550 tents, 17 shops, 300 toilets, and 70 baths, all arranged in a grid, and can accommodate up to 5,500 pilgrims. However, the tents have barely filled up at noon on Friday. Mohammad Shami's three tents remain empty: 'Yesterday, I managed to fill them. I charge Rs 600 for a tent equipped with a bed, an electricity connection, and a blanket.' Durgesh Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, stands alone, his right sleeve pinned to his shirt where his arm should be. Ten years ago, a flour mill accident claimed his limb, but not his determination. 'My group of 30 people have left,' he said. Kumar headed here from Jammu when he was unable to get an RFID tag there. 'There is massive enthusiasm in Jammu. I was not getting a token. But Bhole blessed me with one today. I hope to catch up with my group soon. My wife and two children cried when I decided to come to Pahalgam. But I am undeterred,' he said. Then there's Gautam Mahato, who journeyed from Kharagpur. His white T-shirt, printed in Thailand by his employer, bears his photograph alongside his boss's son, a gift for his work as a contractor. 'My ticket was cancelled six times in the past,' Mahato said, beaming. 'I try every year, but Baba doesn't call me. This year, I got the chance to come.' 'My wife cried a lot. She said, 'Why do you go there when Bhole Baba has stopped you six times?' I told her this time, God has called me, so I will go,' he said. For some pilgrims, the terror attack has become a catalyst for participation rather than deterrence. Anil Kumar from the Ram Mandir Sansthan group in Ayodhya leads 11 first-time pilgrims. 'Humare andar aur ichcha jaagi,' he said. 'We wanted to come to Amarnath because of the terror attack,' said Arjun Jaiswal, another member of the group. The sentiment is echoed by a group of 43 people from Gorakhpur, many wearing MiG 29K T-shirts in support of Operation Sindoor. They have been making this pilgrimage for several years. Sarvajit Gupta (23), from the Gorakhpur group, articulated what many feel: 'I told my family that if the Indian Army is there, then there is nothing to fear. When our family asked us not to go, it lit a fire in our hearts. We decided to rope in as many people as possible. We have come here to show that we won't bow to fear.' At ground zero in Pahalgam, personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police now work alongside local police in intensive frisking operations that can stretch for hours. A BSF constable in dark aviators and a tactical face mask politely declines a family's request for a selfie. 'Maaf karna, authority nahi hai,' he said. This is his third posting for the Amarnath Yatra, and he has watched the security apparatus evolve into something unprecedented. 'There is no scope for any mistake,' the constable said, his eyes scanning the crowd even as he spoke. At the Pahalgam main market, the berry shops, Kashmir handloom stores and tea shops barely have any customers. Three women from Bhopal wait for their husbands to join them here. Lata Kushwaha left her 3-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son with their grandparents back home. Her relative Lakshmi Kushwaha has the same worry; her 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter are hundreds of miles away. 'We always go somewhere,' said Priya Kushwaha, the third woman. 'This time, we thought we would go to Amarnath. We went to Kedarnath last year, and we got everything in a single day.' They left in a group of 18, but not all have got their RFID tags. Three days were spent running from pillar to post in Jammu, chasing the elusive registration passes that would grant them access to the holy cave. 'We don't care about the terror attack,' Priya said. 'We just want to do darshan no matter what.' Jahid Azad, the assistant director of the Tourism department at Pahalgam, told The Indian Express, 'We expected the crowd to be pretty low due to the unfortunate terror attack. This time, we were caught by surprise as many yatris came for darshan from the Pahalgam route. But overall, the tourism footfall in Pahalgam has taken a hit. We are preparing a report to enumerate the economic impact of this.' Azad said they were expecting 1,000 yatris per day, but the numbers have gone up to 3,000-4,000. 'From the Pahalgam route, 12,000 pilgrims have left since the yatra began. We have to see how long this keeps up,' he said.
NDTV
30-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
In Pics: Rajnath Singh Aboard INS Vikrant, Meets Navy Personnel
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Friday boarded the Indian Navy's indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, where he addressed the officers and crew, praising their dedication and strength. During the interaction with naval personnel on board the INS Vikrant off Goa, he sent a stern warning to Pakistan saying India will not hesitate to use the methods to deal with terrorism that Pakistan cannot even think of. Rajnath Singh reviewed operational readiness and praised the Navy's role in neutralising threats during the Operation Sindoor. He also underlined the Navy's vigilance and dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. INS Vikrant, which joined the Indian Navy in 2022, is a major representation of India's goal of building a self-reliant defence sector. The ship's deployment is seen as a crucial step toward reinforcing India's naval capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Made-in-India aircraft carrier is slated to get a boost to its lethality with the inclusion of Rafale Marine (M) fighter jets. The fighter jets will complement the current fleet of MiG 29K. Rajnath Singh's visit comes at a time when India continues to assert its role as a key maritime power amid growing strategic interests in the Indian Ocean.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India, France ink ₹63,000 crore deal for Rafale M fighter jets
India and France have formalized a Rs 63,000 crore agreement for the acquisition of Rafale M fighter jets, enhancing the Indian Navy's warfighting capabilities. The deal includes weapons packages, technology transfer, and the establishment of production and maintenance facilities in India. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Indian Navy's warfighting capabilities will get a boost with the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between India and France for the acquisition of new Rafale M fighter jets that will operate from Indian aircraft carriers The Rs 63,000 crore deal, which was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) earlier this month, was formally inked in the capital on Monday in the presence of defence secretary RK Singh and the French ambassador to India Thierry Mathou. French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu had earlier scheduled a visit to India for the ceremony but it had to be postponed due to health deal includes a significant weapons package for the aircraft that consists of long-range air-to-air missiles and long-range ground and anti-shipping weapons. It also consists of a performance-based logistics pact that will ensure high availability of the combat said the agreement includes transfer of technology for integration of indigenous weapons in India. France will also set up a production facility for the Rafale fuselage as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities for aircraft engine, sensors and weapons in India."The deal is expected to generate thousands of jobs and revenue for a large number of MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) in setting up, production and running of these facilities," an official said, adding that delivery of these aircraft would be completed by 2030, with the crew undergoing training in France and Navy pilots will be trained on the Rafale M by the French side as part of the larger deal for 26 new jets. The aircraft will be a significant capability booster for the navy, which currently relies on Russian origin MiG 29K fighter jets for its aircraft carriers."The induction would lead to the addition of a potent force multiplier to the Indian Navy's aircraft carriers, substantially boosting the nation's air power at sea," an official MiG 29K fighters have shown below par performance owing to maintenance related issues. The fleet suffers very low operational availability, which has limited the usage of aircraft carriers for prolonged carrier borne jets are being acquired as a stopgap solution till the development of an indigenous carrier borne fighter jet. The development of a twin-engine deck-based fighter is currently underway but it is expected that the combat aircraft will take close to a decade to become operational.
