Kashmir in mourning
Srinagar, Apr 23: In an extraordinary display of collective grief and condemnation, Kashmir on Wednesday observed a complete and spontaneous shutdown, a day after 26 tourists were brutally killed in a terror attack in the Pahalgam area of south Kashmirís Anantnag district.
The assault, one of the deadliest on civilians in recent years, has shaken Kashmir to its core, uniting people across political and ideological lines in sorrow and rage.
This marks the first total shutdown of its kind in Kashmir in nearly 35 years, signifying the scale of public outrage.
Kashmir which was gradually reclaiming peace and normalcy was thrust back into despair overnight.
As news of the terror attack spread late Tuesday evening, a wave of anguish swept through Kashmir.
From the pulpit of Masjids came urgent appeals for solidarity.
Loudspeakers echoed with calls for people to stay indoors and mourn the dead.
The response was immediate and overwhelming: shops and markets shut down, roads emptied, and protest gatherings began to sprout in urban centres and remote hamlets alike ñ from downtown Srinagar to the meadows of Pahalgam.
The pain was most palpable in Pahalgam.
Just a day earlier, the tourist town had been alive with visitors enjoying springtime charm.
Today, it stood still.
Shops, hotels, and transport services remained shut as locals gathered in the townís main square, carrying placards and chanting ìpunish the culpritsî and ìdown with terrorism.î
It was a solemn yet defiant message against the forces that have long sought to disrupt Kashmirís fragile peace.
ìThis is beyond politics or economy,î said Asif Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar downtown. ìItís a crime against humanity. Our heads hang in shame. Those tourists came here seeking peace and beauty ñ what they found was horror. We failed to protect them, and that pain will haunt us.î
In what is called an unprecedented show of unity, political parties, religious leaders, trade unions, and civil society groups all joined the call for a shutdown.
The Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was among the first to call for a strike, followed swiftly by endorsements from the National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and various transport and tradersí associations.
Mainstream political leaders were quick to condemn the terror attack.
Mehbooba Mufti, PDP president, led a protest in Srinagar alongside party workers. Speaking to reporters, she said, ìI want to tell the people of India that we are ashamed. We failed to protect your people. This tragedy is not yours aloneóit is ours too. We seek justice, and we stand with the victims.î
Similar sentiments were expressed by the NC during a protest march led by Chief Ministerís Advisor Nasir Wani.
Omar Abdullahís sons, Zamir and Zahir, also joined.
The BJP also held a candlelight protest at Lal Chowk, led by J&K BJP President Sat Sharma and General Secretary Ashok Koul.
Protesters carried placards that read, ëStop killing innocentsí and ëWe want peace.í
The Congress observed a two-minute silence at its party headquarters, while the University of Kashmir witnessed a peaceful demonstration by students and scholars expressing solidarity with the victims.
Security forces have since launched large-scale combing operations across south Kashmir.
Preliminary intelligence inputs suggest the attack was meticulously planned, possibly involving foreign-trained terrorists aiming to sabotage Kashmirís hard-earned calm.
Tourism, which had seen a promising revival, is now again under threat.
Industry insiders fear a major setback to the economy, already fragile from years of unrest.
SHUTDOWN AMID PROTESTS, TRIBUTES ACROSS JAMMU REGION
Political parties, trader bodies, transporters, lawyers, civil society groups, religious organisations join cause
Total shutdown was observed on Wednesday across Jammu region, against dastardly killing of 26 people by terrorists in Pahalgam on April 22, amid a string of protests, candle marches and tributes with a demand for ìbringing perpetrators to justice.î
Anti-Pak slogans rent the air throughout the day during boisterous protests that marked ìBandhî in all ten districts of Jammu region.
The protesters also demanded ìretributive justiceî and ìdecisive actionî against the terrorists as well as their supporters within J&K and mentors across the border.
The ìBandh callî, given by Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), J&K High Court Bar Association, (JKHCBA), Jammu, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and few other Hindu organisations, was supported by almost all major political parties, trader bodies, transporters, lawyers, civil society groups and organisations cutting across religious affiliations.
In Jammu city and adjoining areas, generally it was a show of complete solidarity with the innocent victims of terrorism by the protesters. However, in specific protest demonstrations by Congress along with its allies and BJP, political overtones dominated the discourses. The two sides targeted each otherís leadership while joining the cause.
Interestingly in the protest marches taken out by civil society groups, leaders and workers of these parties at some places jointly participated.
In the wake of the call for ìcomplete Chakka-jamî, public transport remained off the roads. Major roads, other than those which witnessed protest activities, wore a deserted look.
Elaborate security arrangements were in place in the wake of protests and candle marches.
At several places, senior BJP leaders spearheaded and actively participated in the protests, vehemently condemning the Pahalgam terror attack and expressing unwavering solidarity with the bereaved families.
BJP MLAs, senior leaders, along with the whole party cadre, led and participated in various protests across several locations covering all the districts in the Jammu division. They urged the union government to take decisive action against terrorists and reaffirmed their partyís steadfast commitment to restoring peace and stability in the region.
During one such protest, BJP MLA R S Pathania said, ìPahalgam attack is an act of war against the nation. We are united against terrorism. We believe that the Prime Minister and Home Minister will take decisive action against the perpetrators and supporters.î
Later, the BJP, led by its MLAs and district presidents, paid tributes to the victims of the heinous terrorist act at numerous locations across the region.
At some places, emotional scenes unfolded during the protests, as citizens expressed their grief, frustration and a collective resolve to stand united against the menace of terrorism.
Congress workers, seeking permission to take a protest march, even clashed with the Police. Seeking strong action against the perpetrators, Congress leaders, including former minister Yogesh Sawhney, Ravinder Sharma stated that they would support any action of the government to bring terrorists to justice. ìBut there should be an investigation as to whether it was a security lapse,î they demanded.
Members of the J&K High Court Bar Association Jammu burnt tyres amid anti-Pakistan slogans.
ìThis unfortunate incident is blot on J&K. This is the governmentís responsibility to identify those responsible for this attack, who donít want peace in J&K. This was an act of cowardice,î they said and demanded that the terror ecosystem should also be completely dismantled.
Yuva Rajput Sabha members, while protesting, also wanted that responsibility should be fixed if there was any security lapse behind the incident. PDP, National Conference, Shiv Sena too expressed solidarity with the victims.
Several Muslim organisations too held protest marches across Jammu region, asserting that the terror act against innocent people was against the tenets of Islam.
Jammu Prant Bachao Manch, led by its president and former MLA Ashok Sharma, took out a candle light march and sought justice.
In a deeply moving tribute, the Synergetic Green Warriors Foundation held a solemn ceremony at its headquarters to mourn the tragic loss of lives in the terror attack.
As a mark of respect and solidarity with the bereaved families, a five-minute silence was observed under the leadership of Reeta Verma, national president of the Foundation.
Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and Traders Federation Ware House Nehru Market too held separate protest demonstrations and sought stringent punishment for the perpetrators.
Similar protests, amid shutdown, were held in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Udhampur, Kathua, Samba, Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch districts against Pahalgam killings.
Sunderbani, Bajabain, Siot and Nowshera also during complete shutdown witnessed protests where people from different walks of life burnt ìeffigy of terrorism.î
The Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) president Prof Narayan Lal Gupta described the terror attack as a ìdirect assault on humanityî and appealed to the citizens of the country to maintain peace, restraint and unity.
District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Rajouri, Professor Hardial Singh Khalsa and president of NGO, J&K Anmol Cultural Club Sunderbani, Zorawar Singh Khalsa too condemned the terror attack.
In a protest at Kishtwar, BJP MLA Shagun Parihar said, ìThis is a matter of shame for the entire J&K and its people that innocent tourists were killed in Pahalgam. We are confident that the Union Home Minister will ensure justice to the victims of Pahalgam terrorist attack. The Indian Army is capable enough to bring terrorists to justice.î
Complete bandh was also observed in Udhampur district amid protests.
Additional deployment of forces was made at sensitive locations across the region.
