Kashmir grapples with tragedy, tourist departures

Srinagar, Apr 24: Two days after terrorists killed 26 tourists in the Pahalgam area of south Kashmir and a day after an unprecedented bandh, an eerie calm prevailed in Kashmir with decreased footfall.

Despite the reopening of schools, colleges, and business establishments on Thursday, most parts of Kashmir recorded a decreased footfall.

Lal Chowkís traders unlocked their stores, but footfall remained thin.

ìWe are open only to avoid more losses. The sales are negligible,î said Zahid Khan, who runs an electronics outlet.

The hotel occupancy has crawled across Srinagar and other tourist destinations.

At Srinagar Airport, inbound flights are now landing half empty while the departure lounge is packed with visitors scrambling to leave early.

Airlines say they have logged scores of cancellations or rescheduling requests since the shooting on Tuesday.

Along Srinagarís Boulevard, once alive with selfie‑snapping visitors, shikara oars lie motionless.

ìThe lake is silent, and that silence is terrible,î said a boatman, who earned enough this April to clear a winter loan ñ but only just. Handicraft stores at Polo View and Residency Road that had extended hours for the busy Eid‑Baisakhi overlap now close before dusk.

Hoteliers, who last week projected 90 percent occupancy through June, have seen booking platforms tumbling.

The cancellations keep pinging our phones.

On Dal Lake, boatmen refresh airline apps, hoping the red line of cancellations will plateau.

ìGuests will come back,î they said.

Wednesdayís spontaneous, Kashmir‑wide shutdown - announced over Masjid loudspeakers from Kupwara to Qazigund - was the first such strike in 35 years.

Markets, petrol pumps, schools, and government offices stayed dark as residents poured into protest marches condemning the killings.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha called the bandh ìa powerful popular verdict against terrorismî and promised ìswift, visible changesî in security for pilgrims and tourists. Despite the fear, many residents said the attack had united Kashmirís diverse communities. ìWe lived through the worst of the 1990s,î said a group of college students near Lal Chowk. ìThis time Muslims, Pandits, and Sikhs ó everyone is standing together. We will protect our guests because our hospitality makes us who we are.î