Srinagar, Apr 24: Anjali Mehta from Mumbai was sightseeing in Gulmarg when terrorists unleashed a bloodbath in Pahalgam.
Unaware of the gruesome incident, her phone started ringing with her family in Mumbai pleading with her to return immediately.
While she had almost decided to leave for Mumbai, it was her driver and travel agent who assured her of safety in Kashmir for the next three days. “My driver and travel agent offered my family a stay at their homes. They said they will protect us and offer services free of cost,” Mehta said.
She toured various places and left for her home today. “We were scared initially. But leaving right now felt like turning our backs on people who are already going through so much. Kashmir doesn’t need abandonment — it needs hand holding,”
Amid the tense atmosphere in the backdrop of the Pahalgam attack, an unexpected wave of solidarity is emerging from tourists who have chosen to stay back in the valley.
After the Pahalgam attack, many might have chosen to leave the valley fearing for their safety, a quite good number of tourists have preferred to stay in the valley to give a message of brotherhood to the world.
Many tourists who are staying in Kashmir said they are receiving immense support from Kashmiris.
“We are safe here. We went for local sightseeing, and our tour went very well so far. People are very generous here, who assured us of security. Everything was going well. We don’t know where these terrorists come from,” said a group of tourists whose video has gone viral on social media.
This sentiment has been echoed by several other tourists. Many say they were deeply moved by the warmth of locals and the resilience they witnessed in the days following the attack.
“We saw that hundreds of Kashmiris took to the streets to protest against the attack. They have shown courage and humanity. We decided to go ahead with our tour while skipping the tense Pahalgam. Their presence in the protests and candlelight marches sends a message that violence will not dictate the story of Kashmir,” said Akash Mehra, a tourist from New Delhi.
Many outside valley travel agents said although less but they get go-ahead from tourists for Kashmir trip. “While there is understandable concern, the situation remains under control. All necessary precautions are in place, and it is still safe for tourists to continue and enjoy their visit,” said Gautam Kumar , a travel agent from Karnataka.
In Kashmir, hoteliers and taxi drivers are offering free service to the tourists to give them a sense of security. “We are offering free taxi services to tourists and have set up free food stalls for them. We strongly condemn the terror attack that took place on Tuesday. This is a massacre of humanity. Such things should never happen,” said Mohammad Arfat, a taxi driver.