‘Fear replaced the fragrance of flowers’: Tourists back to Mumbai from Kashmir after Pahalgam attack

Waiting at the airport for a connecting flight, also from Bengaluru, Kaushik Prabhu, who had come with his wife Maya and their two daughters Anvita (11) and Akshita (9), said that although the days following the attack were quiet, the panic on April 22 was sufficient to make them shorten their holiday. “There was no point remaining there. We felt safer flying out,” he said.

For Thane resident Anshika Jai, who returned with her husband and their one-year-old baby, the experience was particularly shocking. They had reached Srinagar on April 19 and were planning to go to Pahalgam on April 23. “The April 22 attack put everything off. Coming to Mumbai is a relief. Being at home with an infant was difficult. Locals assisted us with baby supplies, but there was an atmosphere of fear and panic,” she said.

Nidhi and Nitin Chitre, an elderly couple from Thane, narrowly escaped danger. Sent to Kashmir by their son, they visited Pahalgam on the morning of April 22, hours before the attack. “There are two routes to reach Pahalgam–one by horse and the other by car. We took the car because of our age and luckily returned before anything happened,” said Nitin.

His wife, Nidhi added, “We had gone only a few hours prior to the attack and reached a local town called Chandnawadi. The fear replaced the fragrance of flowers there. We are relieved now beyond words.”

Pune’s Yogiraj Shinde, who had gone with friends to witness a spiritual function, told us about the sudden turn in the atmosphere. “We were able to relax finally after arriving in Mumbai. Things changed there overnight. There were roadblocks on certain roads also due to rain a few days back,” he stated. His friend Ganesh Mete said, “We had visited on April 17. Nothing was wrong till then. The day of attack was when everything changed.”

For 13-year-old Aradhya Jadhav, the news of the attack was a surprise. “We opened Google just out of curiosity to see the weather and the attack came up first on the news,” he said. His parents, Sai and Rakesh Jadhav of Kalwa, were to visit Pahalgam in the next few days, but immediately changed their plans upon hearing of the attack.

Responding to the situation, the Maharashtra government had begun a multi-pronged operation to rescue stranded tourists. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan to proceed to Kashmir right away and monitor the evacuation process.

To date, nearly 500 tourists have returned to Maharashtra, some brought by the government, while some had to book tickets in private flights at hefty cost. Besides the two special flights that have already been run by the state government, another one will be operated on Friday. The Chief Minister’s Office indicated that more flights would be organised as and when required, with all expenses borne by the state.

Mahajan also met the tourists who are under treatment at the Army Hospital and arranged for a video call with CM Fadnavis, who expressed gratitude to the medical team for the help.

For more efficient efforts, a three-tier coordination system has been established comprising the Mantralaya, Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, and the Chief Minister’s Office. Stranded groups were provided temporary accommodation in Jammu and Delhi, while tourists from farther districts such as Amravati and Akola were given priority for the next return flight.

For ensuring the further journey of 323 tourists coming back from Kashmir, MSRTC stationed eight Shivneri buses at Terminal 1 airport in Mumbai. The tourists, who arrived in the flights at around 9.30 pm, were carried to their hometowns across different parts of Maharashtra. “Safety and easy passage of all the returnees is our priority. Shivneri buses are made available at the airport,” MSRTC spokesperson Abhijit Bhosale said.

For the hundreds who came back on Thursday, there was no mistaking the feeling of relief. What was supposed to be a holiday to one of India’s most scenic areas ended up as a dash back home — one in which the beauty of the valley was soon forgotten in fear.