On Sunday, a heartening scene unfolded on the streets of Pahalgam as foreign and domestic tourists strolled through the town, bringing a sense of normalcy and hope back to the region.Five days after the shocking terrorist attack in the peaceful Jammu and Kashmir town of Pahalgam, a wave of resilience and optimism is sweeping through the Valley. What was once a bustling hub with 5,000 to 7,000 tourists daily saw a dramatic dip to just 50-100 visitors in the days following the tragedy.
Ljiljana from Croatia, while speaking to ANI, said, “We are coming from Croatia and we are now three or four 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 attack, 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 our country and the whole world.”
Vlatko, also from Croatia, said, “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 asked about safety post-attack, he said “I feel totally safe, no problem here. Everywhere, people say hello – zero, zero scared.”
Admir Jahic, another tourist from Croatia, echoed similar sentiments taking to ANI he said, “I feel myself wonderful here in Kashmir. I have made so many friends here people are very welcoming. I’m very happy to meet such kind of people.”
On the attack, he said, “It’s not easy to hear something like that, especially the way the media boosts it. 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.”
Amid these voices from across borders, Mohammad Anas from Surat, Gujarat, added an Indian perspective, saying, “We are 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.”
The spirit of unity and courage was also visible in today’s local protest, where the people of Pahalgam marched with the national flag, in defiance of terror.
Despite recent events, the undying charm of Kashmir, the warmth of its people, and the resilience of its spirit are beginning to bring travelers back one step at a time.
