SRINAGAR – Thousands of tourists and students scrambled to get places onplanes and buses leaving Kashmir on Saturday after the Indian governmentwarned of the threat of “terror” attacks.
Thousands of military reinforcements were arriving in the Himalayanterritory, also claimed by Pakistan, where a three-decade old insurgencyhas left tens of thousands of dead.
The Jammu and Kashmir state government said late Friday that touristsshould leave “immediately” because of new intelligence about “terrorthreats” to a major Hindu pilgrimage in the region.
Anxious tourists, including some foreigners, flooded the airport at themain city, Srinagar, on Saturday, many without tickets for flights that day.
Visitor numbers have been boosted by the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage, whichdraws hundreds of thousands of Hindus each year.
The pilgrimage has been cancelled because of the scare. A huge securityforce had been guarding the route even before the alert. A second smallerpilgrimage, the Machail Mata Yatra, in Jammu region was also cancelledSaturday.
– Airport chaos –
“Passengers who were scheduled to return in coming days have turned up inpanic at the airport today,” said the manager of one airline operating theDelhi-Srinagar route.
“It’s chaotic and not many will manage seats unless there are additionalflights.”
Hundreds of Indian students from outside Kashmir were evacuated in buses.
“All the non-local students have left the campus for their respectivestates,” an administrative official at the National Institute of Technologyin Srinagar told AFP.
Kashmiri residents formed long lines outside petrol stations, food storesand bank cash machines on Friday night after the alert was announced. Butthe queues eased Saturday.
India’s military head in Kashmir, Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet SinghDhillon, said Friday that a sniper gun and a mine with Pakistani markingshad been found on the route of the Amarnath Yatra.
“This proves Pakistani attempts to attack the Yatra,” said Singh, who has500,000 forces in Kashmir battling the insurgency.
India and Pakistan divided Kashmir when they became independent in 1947 butboth claim it in full and have fought two of three wars since over theterritory.
The Indian government has admitted that 10,000 extra troops were sent toKashmir a week ago. Media reports Friday said a further 25,000 had beenordered there.
The government has declined to say how many are in the new reinforcements.
While military authorities and the state government highlighted thesecurity risk, Kashmir politicians have raised fears that the troops aresign that the Hindu nationalist government could carry out a threat toscrap Kashmir’s special status under the constitution.
Political leaders in the territory have warned that cancellingconstitutionally guaranteed rights, which mean only state domiciles can buyland in the region, could spark unrest.
Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik, who is named by the New Delhigovernment, said “unnecessary panic” was being created by “rumours”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has refused to say whether it isabout to scrap the constitutional article, though he has often spokenagainst it. -APP/AFP