Just five days after the dastardly terrorist attack in the peaceful 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. But today, 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.
Croatian and Serbian tourists were seen exploring the streets of Pahalgam, entirely at ease. Holding nothing back, they expressed their admiration for Kashmir’s unmatched beauty and its warm people.
Ljiljana from Croatia, while speaking to ANI, said, “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 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 your 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, and people are very welcoming. I’m really 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. 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 also shared her gratitude to the People of Kashmir. While talking to ANI, she said, “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 these voices from across borders, Mohammad Anas from Surat, Gujarat, added an Indian perspective, saying, “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 continued, “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 unity and courage was also visible in today’s local protest, where the people of Pahalgam marched with the national flag, chanting, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro” 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 travellers back one step at a time.
