Reasi/Jammu: The shutdown in Katra against the proposed Vaishno Devi ropeway project entered its sixth day on Monday, as youth continued a hunger strike demanding the release of several individuals detained by police during the protests.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti called for the shutdown on Wednesday, announcing that all activities would remain suspended during the bandh in Katra, the base camp for Mata Vaishno Devi.
Shivani Jamwal, wife of detained Samiti leader Bhupinder Singh, joined the protestors and threatened to commit self-immolation if her husband and others were not released immediately, citing their deteriorating condition in police detention. All shops, restaurants, and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads, for the sixth consecutive day in the holy town following the Samiti's call for the protest.
The bandh has crippled normal life in one of the busiest towns in the country, as thousands of pilgrims arrive daily to pay obeisance at the cave shrine. The number of devotees visiting the cave shrine has decreased in the wake of the shutdown.
"The bandh will continue until the government shelves the ropeway project. It is a battle for survival and dignity, besides ensuring the continuance of the pilgrimage through Mata's traditional route," the Samiti spokesperson said. He alleged that the government is deliberately worsening the situation by refusing to release the detainees or engage in dialogue with the Samiti.