BENGALURU: Following the Pahalgam terror attack, a total of 177 tourists from Karnataka were flown back from Jammu and Kashmir to Bengaluru on a special flight arranged by the state government, around Thursday noon.
Describing the aftermath, many tourists said they had travelled in groups and could not book tickets, which had soared to nearly Rs 80,000 after the terror attack. They thanked the government for stepping in, saying fear on the ground had made travel difficult. Several said that minister Santosh Lad, who brought back the tourists, had personally visited Srinagar and also Gulmarg, where many tourists were stuck, assured them of safety, and helped coordinate their return.
‘Never again to dream destination’
“Kashmir was my dream destination ever since my older sister went there almost 30 years ago for her honeymoon, but after what we experienced, we will never ever visit the valley,” said Monica Satya, a Bengalurean who finally made a trip to Kashmir, with eight friends and family members.
Just days into the vacation, when Monica and her family were in Gulmarg, news of the terrorist attack nearby left them shaken. “We were terrified. The internet was barely working, so we couldn’t even check the flights or call anybody to check for us,” she said. Unsure of what to do, Monica called a friend in Bengaluru, who informed her that she had seen the news that minister Santosh Lad was expected to visit. “I arranged for the minister’s number and called him. From Srinagar, the minister came to our hotel in Gulmarg, and assured us we would be taken back safely with the other tourists,” she told TNIE.
Tour bus delay saved them
Misha (13) had travelled to Kashmir with her parents and younger sister during their school vacation. “We’re trying to cover all the North Indian hill stations — last year, it was Shimla and Manali, and this time we chose Kashmir,” she said. The family was scheduled to leave for Pahalgam from Gulmarg by bus, on the day of the terrorist attack.
“We were supposed to leave on Tuesday morning, but the tour agency said buses weren’t ready and we’d leave only by evening,” Misha recalled, adding that the delay saved them. It was not until later that day, when their internet connection returned, that they found out what had happened. “We had multiple missed calls from relatives. That’s how we found out about the attack,” she said.
Misha said the family had originally planned to head back on April 26, however, after the attack, they immediately contacted the helpline set up for tourists and made arrangements to return early.
‘Were 5 km from terror scene, felt like a movie’
Kush and Kriti, cousins from Bengaluru, had travelled to Kashmir with 20 family members, hoping to show their grandparents the beauty of the valley. But just as they were returning from Betaab Valley in Pahalgam, they learnt about the terror attack nearby. “We were only 5 km from the spot, but had no idea what had happened until we reached our resort,” Kush said.
Soon after, the area was placed under heavy restrictions. “There was a complete lockdown. We couldn’t take our grandparents out anywhere — curfew was imposed, helicopters were hovering above, and there were military checks. We couldn’t believe it was the same place, it felt like a scene out of a movie,” said Kush.
Soudha security officer among tourists
Among the tourists was Ravikumar, a police officer attached to Vidhana Soudha security, who had spent a good amount of money planning a holiday with his wife and child. However, his trip took an unexpected turn when he landed in Kashmir on the day of the terror attack. What was meant to be a relaxing family vacation was abruptly aborted as upon arrival, he was told it was unsafe to stay and was asked to return.
Locals came to rescue
Many tourists recalled that despite the language barrier, local residents extended immense help during the crisis. While most of the tourists were in Gulmarg and other parts of Kashmir — far from Srinagar where their flights were scheduled — they were still able to make their way back, with the support of local tour guides and drivers. They mentioned that even with a statewide curfew in place, locals helped them reach bus stands and arranged transport to Srinagar.
Chetan R, Commissioner, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, told TNIE that the government is still in touch with the Anantnag district DIG to know how many tourists from the state are still in J&K. He also mentioned that the people there have their flights booked either to Amritsar or Delhi.