Tourists Return To Pahalgam With Hope And Confidence, Back To Normalcy?

Just 5 days after the dastardly terrorist assault within the non violent the town of Pahalgam, a wave of resilience and optimism is sweeping during the valley. What was once as soon as a bustling hub with 5,000 to 7,000 vacationers day-to-day noticed a dramatic dip to simply 50-100 guests within the days following the tragedy. But nowadays, a heartening scene opened up at the streets of Pahalgam as international and home vacationers strolled during the the town, bringing a way of normalcy and hope again to the area.

Croatian and Serbian vacationers had been noticed exploring the streets of Pahalgam, totally comfortable. Holding not anything again, they expressed their admiration for Kashmir’s unrivaled good looks and its heat other folks.

Ljiljana from Croatia, whilst chatting with ANI, stated, “We are coming from Croatia and we are now 3 or 4 days here. We are feeling very safe, and your country is very beautiful. We don’t have any problem staying here. Kashmir is beautiful, very beautiful. It’s very nice, your country is different. We are very, very satisfied with your nature, and people are very kind. We are happy here. We are all 12 people, including two from Serbia and the others from Croatia.”

On the Pahalgam assault, she added, “We heard about the incident one day before. We had decided we must go to Kashmir. We’re feeling very safe, we had no problem here, everything is okay. It’s terrible what happened. May those responsible hear this I hope it will stop, in your country and the whole world.”

Vlatko, additionally from Croatia, stated, “It’s my 10th time in Kashmir and every time it’s fantastic. For me, it’s number one in the world, natural, soft people. My group is very happy; it’s their first time here, Croatian and Serbian people.”

On requested about protection post-attack, he stated, “I feel totally safe, no problem here. Everywhere, people say hello – zero, zero scared.”

Admir Jahic, any other vacationer from Croatia, echoed identical sentiments, taking to ANI, he stated, “I feel myself wonderful here in Kashmir. I have made so many friends here, and people are very welcoming. I’m really very happy to meet such kind of people.”

On the assault, he stated, “It’s not easy to hear something like that, especially the way the media boosts it. Myself I didn’t feel any fear. I know it’s not something that regularly happens here, it could happen anywhere. If you’re afraid, you can stay at home, but even there it can happen. It happens in Europe, it happens everywhere. There’s no safe place in the world anymore. But that kind of situation doesn’t prevent me from travelling and meeting people. I’m very sorry for what happened because these are wonderful people and a wonderful country. They deserve peace and prosperity, not fear. It hurts everyone.”

Ivana from Serbia additionally shared her gratitude to the People of Kashmir. While speaking to ANI, she stated, “We are now off to see a little bit more of your beautiful valley and your beautiful country and nature. Thank you very much for having us here. We heard about the incident before leaving our countries, but despite everything, we decided to come. This is a journey we have been planning for years. We knew the country is beautiful, and we expected only good things. Thank you, Kashmir.”

Amid those voices from throughout borders, Mohammad Anas from Surat, Gujarat, added an Indian viewpoint, pronouncing, “We are really enjoying our time here in Kashmir. Right now, we are in Pahalgam. We are deeply saddened by the death of our fellow tourist brothers. It’s a huge loss for us. However, the markets and everything else are still open here in Pahalgam. There’s nothing to be afraid of. The Indian Army is here, the government is with us, and even the local people are supporting us. Since the time I arrived, I haven’t felt any fear.”

He persevered, “When we were on our way and heard about the incident, we were quite scared and thought about going back. But the locals and the army supported us a lot and assured us that there’s no problem here. They encouraged us to come and see Pahalgam. What happened was terrible, and whoever did this did something very wrong; it should never have happened.”

The spirit of cohesion and braveness was once additionally visual in nowadays’s native protest, the place the folks of Pahalgam marched with the nationwide flag, chanting, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro” in defiance of terror.

Despite contemporary occasions, the timeless appeal of Kashmir, the heat of its other folks, and the resilience of its spirit are starting to convey travellers again one step at a time.