Fayaz Bukhari and Krishna N. Das
Srinagar (Reuters) – Images and videos of gunfire sounding on the grass, bloody bodies lying on the ground, people fleeing dry riverbeds smash the appearance of Kashmir into a new tourist hotspot in India.
The beautiful mountains, valleys and Great Mughal gardens attract record tourists, stemming from five years of relative safety. Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have touted the achievements of the tourism boom.
But the attack by suspected militants on Tuesday killed at least 26 tourists and was injured in the scenic Pahargam region of Kashmir, known for its glowing Himalayan peaks and fast-flowing streams, leaving panicked tourists seeking early exits as the busy summer begins.
Modi's decision to deprive the local autonomy of the Muslim majority of Kashmir after decades of anti-India violence led to widespread protests, his finance minister laid off employees after vowing justice.
After returning, he held a meeting of the Grand Lieutenant at the airport itself. Kashmir split between India and Pakistan, both of which are fully claimed and plagued by years of rebellious violence.
Locals have called for one day to protest the deadliest Kashmir attack in decades, tourism operators have reported mass cancellations, and airlines are making additional return flights in the main Kashmir city of Srinagar.
Tourism is the backbone of the Kashmir Valley economy and has been widely promoted by the government and airlines in India.
Government data shows that last year’s arrival reached a record high of more than 3 million, from less than 831,000 in 2018, as India’s middle class splurged on post-travel trips.
However, some Kashmir hardwoods sent influx, a cultural invasion of tourists from other parts of India and India.
“We have a history of hospitality, but there are some timid terrorists who want to destroy it all,” Sajjad Lone, a local MP and head of the Kashmir People's Congress Party, told reporters.
“People involved in the tourism industry have started to start their lives again. They are beginning to dream. There is no doubt that the goal of these terrorist attacks is to once again deprive us of our power economically.”
A little-known radical group, Kashmir Resistance, claims to be responsible for attacks in social media messages. It said that arriving in the area as a tourist has settled over 85,000 “outsiders” vowing to act violently against such settlers. Data show that civilian casualties have dropped significantly over the past two decades.
Visitor operators, taxi drivers and others involved in the industry condemned the attack and cut the lost business as the summer rush began. The attack was also a huge blow to Modi's attempt to bring foreign investment into the region.
As desperate tourists attempted to flee Kashmir, flight tickets briefly rose before the government met with airline operators and “a strong consultation against the emergence of pricing”.
“After the incident in Pahargam, unexpected demands from tourists seeking homelands are suggested by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. “Airlines are advised to take quick action to increase the number of flights.”
An anonymous travel agency in Kashmir said they had to cancel about 90% of their reservations over the next three months.
Shakir Ahmed, manager of Pahalgam's Tourist Taxi Alliance, said all 30 of their cars were idle.
“The streets suddenly became empty,” he said. “Summer is like our wedding celebrations, but this year, we will have nothing. Without tourists, we are nothing.”
Modi's tunnels connected to a number of other tourist attractions in Kashmir in January, connecting Jamu and Kashmir's federal territory, benefiting from infrastructure and other efforts in recent years.
“Leave the early difficult times, and our Kashmir is now regaining its paradise identity on Earth,” he said.
On Tuesday, he wrote on X during a visit to Saudi Arabia: “The people behind such outrageous behavior will be brought to justice… They will not be spared!”
(Reported by Fayaz Bukhari in Srinagar and other reports by Krishna N. Das, Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa, Rupam Jain and Abhijith Ganapavaram in New Delhi; Edited by Saad Sayeed)
