JK News Today
Pahalgam
It is close to the first anniversary of Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2025, but the people here want to move on. “ Don’t talk about Baisaran ( the meadow where the attack took place , killing 26 civilians , mostly tourists ) we don’t want to be reminded of the tragedy,” is the common refrain here .
Pahalgam is looking ahead to a wonderful tourist season, in fact tourists have already started thronging the world-famous tourist resort .
They are unanimous in hailing beauty of the tourist resort as one of the most beautiful places in the world. They intermingle with the local shopkeepers , pony operators and others , in a spirit of triumphalism over the past .
This is perhaps the greatest legacy of Kashmiri resilience refashioning a down moment of the past into a dynamic respect for the change and their own struggle to show what they are, and what their place means to them , Pahalgam has seen such tragedies before too – there was a gruesome killing of Amarnath pilgrims and tourists and locals on the night of July 31 and August 1st, 2000. It has seen grenade attacks and other violent acts , but always came out of shadows to embrace new light and tourists.
Some Delhi-based reporters with their camera crews were badgering locals about Baisaran and the massacre , and the locals rebuffed them saying that they don’t want to talk about (it. Some of the locals were quite blunt in asking these “ Baisaran- Pahalgam massacre obsessed reporters , can’t you talk about something pleasant about Kashmir .Keep your agenda to yourself , “ one of them told Delhi-based reporter waiving off his questions on Baisaran.
Today , Pahalgam , the heart of Lidder Valley , and inspiration of several Bollywood movies, is different from what it was for weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack. Tourists are coming from far off places – Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and even neighbouring Punjab . They are happy and enjoying every moment of their stay .
The main bazaar of Pahalgam wears a festive look . Tourists roam in the kind of freedom which has been the hallmark of this tourist resort and the rest of the Kashmir valley always . Pahalgam is back to its pre- April 22, 2025 days. It has forgotten black day , and is on way to find ways to reassert its original identity and culture of beauty and hospitality.
What are they talking about is in itself is a lesson for the skeptics who want to besmirch its reputation with all the negative thoughts and perceptions that clouded the place and atmosphere after the tragedy . “ We are looking for the start of the ( Amarnath ) yatra, and keep on reminding the pilgrims that theirs is the traditional route to the cave shrine in Himalayas devoted to Lord Shiva . They also remind that how many taxis and ponies they have .
“ We look at tourism and Amarnath Yatra as part of Kashmiriyat ( Kashmir’s cultural ethos of co-existence) . We have 6,000 horses and ponies , all of us are in service of our guests,” stated Rouf Wani, President of Pony Association.
Ghulam Nabi , president of taxi Operators Association showcases 1,000 strong fleet of cars and jeeps that Pahalgam has . He underscores the fact that they want Chandanwari to be opened at the earliest so that tourists could be taken to the beautiful place which also falls en route Amarnath Yatra.
Mukhatr Ahmad , President of Pahalgam Market Association told JK News Today that they have crossed all the barriers of the past, “ now we are looking for new chapter. There is no point in re-opening the chapter that we have shut out of our minds. Pahalgam welcomes tourists forever.”
Pahalgam is rich with vibrancy of tourists That is one side of it. The other side is very critical , they don’t see tourists as a compensation for what all they lost in the weeks and months after the tragedy but as their own . They are not assets , but something personal to their personal lives- a unique culture of Kashmir . of which they are proud of .
This mood needs to be built up .
There is no denying the fact that April 22, 2025 , happened . It brought misery not only to Pahalgam and the rest of the Valley. They rose in one voice against the act of terrorism and sought punishment for the perpetrators and backers of the heinous crime .
It is for the strategists to mull all the lessons delivered by the massacre and the damage that it caused to the psyche, beyond the material loss and disruption in economy . They are still decoding the attack and its dimensions , and much of it has been done by avenging the killing of 26 civilians with Operation Sindoor
Such is the vibrancy and impact of Operation Sindoor that it has become a byword for unprecedently bold counter terrorism operation conducted across the border, decimating terrorists and their infrastructure and exposing Pakistan as ‘epicenter of terrorism”.
Pahalgam wants to see new light and bathe in it .Let’s respect what they say..
