No sir, I am not going to Kashmir as tourist to prove a point
22 April 2025 was one of the darkest days in Indian history. Five terrorists stormed Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Baisaran is known for its pine forests and serene beauty. The area was jam-packed with tourists from across the country. The terrorists asked if the tourists were Hindu or Muslim and shot the Hindus. Twenty-six civilians were killed. Survivors said they were forced to prove their religion, and those who could not recite Islamic verses or the Kalma were killed on the spot. One of the local Muslim pony operators was also killed in the attack.
It was not just another act of violence. It was a direct blow to the idea of “normalcy”, especially for Hindus, in the Valley. Despite steady tourist flow, promotional reels, and relentless efforts made by the Government of India to push development in Jammu and Kashmir, the Valley continues to simmer. And sometimes, it boils over in blood.
For decades, Kashmir has suffered the effects of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, hopes for normalcy and the desire to visit this ‘heaven on earth’ peaked among Indians. They wanted to experience the hospitality of Kashmiris and enjoy the beauty, the weather, and the food. But at what cost?
Yes, tourists want to go, but the sentiment must be safe first!
There is no denying that tourists from across India are eager to visit Kashmir. One of my closest friends went to Gulmarg in 2022. Even then, there was an attack, but her family was safe. The idea of being near danger was brushed off, as she and her family were safe. But not for too long.
Notably, in 2022 alone, 26,73,442 tourists visited Kashmir. In 2023, the number rose to 31,55,835 and in 2024, there were 34.98 lakh tourists who visited Kashmir. Dal Lake, Gulmarg, and Sonmarg were among the favourite locations. The dreams are real, and the longing is genuine. Tourists, especially Indians, want to visit Kashmir. They want to see normalcy there without the sight of a gun. Even the government wanted it. But that desire rests on a fragile base, the feeling of being safe.
However, things that looked safe from the outside were not the same on the inside. The Pahalgam terrorist attack shocked the nation, bringing senses back to reality. While a large number of tourists are still visiting the Valley in “We Are Not Afraid” mode, the truth is bookings have dropped sharply. Even in Katra, hotels saw large number of cancellations. No one wants to gamble their holiday on a flash of gunfire. No one wants to be killed during a vacation just because he is a Hindu.
It is not cowardice to avoid danger, it is instinct. You cannot expect people to risk death just to “prove terrorists wrong”. Normalcy must be felt, not performed. I, too, yearn to walk through almond blossoms in Badamwari. However, it should not be under the shadow of martyrdom.
Kashmir’s beauty is eternal, but trust is not, it must be earned
“Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, hameen ast-o, hameen ast-o, hameen ast.” If there is paradise on Earth, it is here, these words of Amir Khusrau, a 13th-century poet, still ring true. Kashmir remains breathtaking. But beauty is not enough to build trust. The chinar turns crimson every autumn. The Lidder sparkles in spring. However, tourists now flinch at every silence, locals are being judged, and trust remains a casualty.
Yes, the locals came out to condemn the terrorist attack.
But many of them talked more about losing their livelihood. Why did I notice it? Why did everyone notice it? Because there is a void that has formed due to the death of 26 innocent Hindus.
People from every part of the country want to believe that the Valley is safe. But a flash of violence is more than enough to shatter that glass wall. The welcoming nature of the people of Kashmir must be felt, not doubted. Even now, most Indians believe that only a handful of Kashmiris side with the terrorists. And it is true, most Kashmiris want to live peacefully, earn peacefully, without worrying whether there will be a terrorist attack or bandh tomorrow. They want to welcome tourists and show them how great the land of Rishi Kashyap is. And that begins with action, not advertising.
History demands that pain be acknowledged, not glossed over
The conflict that has rooted its presence deep into the Valley will not disappear just because you have stopped talking about it. In 1990, thousands of Kashmiri Pandits were forced out by slogans and threats blared from mosques. Countless Hindus were killed during that time. Girija Tickoo was cut from the middle using an electric saw while she was alive after gang raping her. You can throw the horrors behind the curtains but to heal the wounds, a lot is yet to be done.
Their neighbours, with whom they had shared festivals and grief, turned silent. Some of them were complicit, some of them were afraid of the consequences if they supported Hindus. Nearly the entire community fled overnight, their homes seized or destroyed. Those who dared to go back, even for a day, met horrible fate. Girija Tickoo was cut from the middle using an electric saw while she was alive after gang raping her. You can throw the horrors behind the curtains but to heal the wounds, a lot is yet to be done.
The exodus is not a footnote. It is a wound. It is a wound that has not been treated well. A wound that has been festering as it was ignored for decades. Even the Supreme Court dismissed the plea of Kashmiri Hindus and denied reopening cases of the murders of Kashmiri Hindus and the exodus. If Kashmir wants to reclaim its soul, it must confront what was done to the Pandits. Their pain must be acknowledged publicly, not brushed under the carpet in pursuit of photo-op harmony.
I am not blaming the locals. This is not a collective blame game. It is more about collective healing. Let us not pretend that the “Azaadi” slogans were peaceful. Let us not speak of “Naya Kashmir” while acting as if the darkest days will not return or loom over to give a reality check.
A truly normal Kashmir shouldn’t need Yatris protected by Army
Every year, the Amarnath Yatra takes place under the watch of tens of thousands of armed personnel. Pilgrims wear RFIDs. Convoys are scanned, drones hover, movement is restricted. Why? Because terrorists have repeatedly attacked pilgrims, including in 2017. Even in the Jammu region, Vaishno Devi now operates under heightened alert. Is this what “normal” looks like?
No, it is not. A truly normal Kashmir would not require guns at every bend of a religious pilgrimage. The very fact that the Government of India must make such arrangements proves that the threat is not gone. It is merely sleeping and waiting. I am grateful to the forces that protect Amarnath Yatra and, as a matter of fact, provide extensive security at Vaishno Devi Mandir, but it is not a victory if, to ensure no terror attack happens, hundreds of armed soldiers must become shield for the Yatris.
The fact that the Shrines have to thrive under military cover is a compromise, to say at least. True victory against terrorism will be the day when Yatras require no rifles at all.
Performative tourism cannot replace deep reform
After every attack, including the Pahalgam terrorist attack, voices rise, “We must not be afraid, go to Kashmir, show the terrorists!” I understand the emotion. But it is just a symbol of strength. The strength that will vanish in tears the moment a terrorist with a gun march towards them. Symbolic defiance is not strategy. Sooner everyone understands it, the better.
Visiting Kashmir just to “prove a point” will not dismantle the terror ecosystem. It is, in fact, feeding it. It is feeding the terror network faith that they have their target walking towards them just like a pigeon with eyes shut.
Some metrics have improved. There is no doubt in that. For example, stone pelting incidents have completely vanished from the Valley since the abrogation of Article 370. It is a positive sign. However, terror groups still exist. They are just hiding in the shadows in the form of sleeper cells. You cannot defeat sleeper cells with slogans. They are rooted out by sustained intelligence and a zero-tolerance policy for sympathisers.
However, whenever government and armed forces go ballistic on terrorists, some so-called human rights experts rush to the courts to stop them. They do not rush to the courts against terrorism. They rush to the courts to protect the sympathisers, and that is the problem.
Tourism photos and reels with smiling faces does not mean there is peace. Reform means police reforms, education over radicalisation, economic opportunities, integration without alienation, and yes, accountability for separatists, their apologists, terrorists and their sympathisers.
Kashmir is not a prop in the theatre of nationalism. It is a fragile part of India sustaining only because there are hands to support it. The real patriotism lies in creating a Kashmir that neither needs performative tourism nor needs consistent presence of armed forces.
What real peace can bring for all communities
What would a peaceful Kashmir look like? Close your eyes. Imagine Kashmiri Pandits returning to their homes, welcomed by neighbours. A Dal Lake where locals and tourists laughing without suspicion. Schools where Hindu, Muslim, Sikh children sit together and dreaming the same dream.
The pony-walla, the shopkeeper, the hotelier, every single person who has some sense left wants peace. This is why they came out condemning the terrorist attack. Or did they come because there was looming fear that every one of them would be seen with same suspicion? This sense of proving “I am not with the terrorist” has to go. And it can only go if terrorists, their sympathisers and sleeper cells are weeded out completely and burnt down to ashes.
The Kashmir we must strive for is one where no one needs curfews, raids, or patrols. Where jobs and education replace the gun. Where cinema returns, art thrives, and culture flows free. Kashmir was a paradise. Kashmir is a paradise, but it is wounded. Kashmir wants to become the paradise again. It needs help to heal, for real. But it is only possible when guns become a thing of the past and tourists are just tourists, not testaments.
Post-370 gains are real, but much more needs to be done
The abrogation of Article 370 was necessary. It removed a barrier to integration. It allowed Indian laws to apply in full. Since then, terror incidents have dropped over 70%, investments have risen, IITs and medical colleges have come up. But that does not mean 100% normalcy has been achieved. Sleeper cells still operate. Radical sympathisers still exist, preaching hate in whispers.
These are the real battles now; ideological, psychological, social
Development and deradicalisation has to go hand-in-hand. Not only the government, but the political leaders of the opposition, the locals and every stakeholder has to understand the need of peace in the Valley. You cannot achieve it without monitoring locations where terrorist sympathisers can flourish. The overground terror workers have to be marked, caught, tagged and bagged to send to cells where they can harm no one. The peace-loving citizens must be rewarded. The local leaders who support national unity must be encouraged.
Elections were important, I agree, but there was no hurry to be honest. There is a need of the political voice in the Valley, but it could have waited. Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in the Assembly how he could ask for statehood after such an attack, he completely brushed aside the responsibility from his shoulders. Leadership cannot behave like that.
Even if the security is not his government’s responsibility, deradicalisation is. No matter what he says or believes, as a CM, he must work to ensure there are no radical elements in the Valley. The political voices must understand they are accountable, and their loyalty must remain to the Constitution.
The path ahead
Kashmir is on the path, but make no mistake, we are not at the destination yet. It is not fear. It is a plea for honest healing. Some may say I am scared. I have given in to terror. I reject that. I am not scared. I am angry. I am tired of reading and writing like a robot about the terror attacks. I am demanding more than photo-ops. I am demanding more than just counting the number of tourists. I want everyone to come together and stitch back the soul of Kashmir, not just its economy.
Do I want to visit Kashmir? Yes. Do I want to visit any time soon? No. I will visit Kashmir when I feel peace. Not when I am told to perform it. I want to walk in the gardens, look at Kesar fields and Tulip farms, walk around the markets, buy local and enjoy local food. I want to do all this without looking over my shoulder.
Let us not pressurise our own citizens into tourism as resistance. Instead, let us ensure that when someone says, “Come to Kashmir,” it feels like an invitation, not a dare. Until then, no sir, I am not going to Kashmir as a tourist to prove a point. I will go when no one has to prove anything anymore.
News