Law Kumar Mishra | Team TrickyScribe: Tuesday’s attack on innocent tourists by Kashmir Residents, a militant outfit reportedly linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), at Pahalgam—95 km from Srinagar—has brought back chilling memories of the 2000 Amarnath massacre.
Back then, on the evening of August 2, heavily armed militants stormed a base camp, killing 32 yatris. The toll reached 105 over the next two days, marking one of the bloodiest chapters of militancy in the Valley.
Tourists Targeted Based on Faith
In Tuesday’s incident at Hejan Valley, tourists from across India were singled out and shot at close range—only because they were Hindus.
This targeted killing is reminiscent of the early 1990s, when militancy-driven violence led to the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. The message behind this act appears no different: an attempt to reintroduce fear, exclusion, and communal hatred.
Eyewitness to a Massacre: A Journalist’s Account
I served as The Times of India’s correspondent in Jammu & Kashmir for three years during the height of militancy. What happened on Tuesday is deeply disturbing but, sadly, not new. It mirrors the Pahalgam massacre of 2000—a horror I remember all too vividly.
Securing the Story Amid Curfew
On that fateful night in August 2000, J.R. Jandial, then Director of Public Relations for the J&K Government, phoned me with news of the massacre.
With curfew-like conditions in place, I requested access to a fax machine to file my story. Mr. Jandial agreed, making it possible for me to send a timely report straight from ground zero.
Times of India’s Exclusive Ground Report
I contacted Mr. Dileep Padgaonkar, our Editor, to alert the News Service Desk to prepare space for the breaking story. The TOINS bureau used to close by evening, but we made it work.
With Mr. Jandial’s help, I spoke to then CM Farooq Abdullah and DGP A.K. Suri for official reactions. I even managed to gather quotes from survivors through doctors. The next morning, The Times of India was the only daily to carry a fresh, on-the-ground report from Pahalgam.
Pahalgam: Then a Base Camp, Now a Battleground
During my own Amarnath Yatra, I had spent a night at a tent camp in Pahalgam, hosted by a Sadhu from Jaipur, before starting my trek to Chandanwari. That spiritual base has now become a symbol of bloodshed.
Lapses in Security and Intelligence
This latest attack has raised serious questions about the relaxation of security in Pahalgam—a region known for attracting honeymooners and tourists. Unlike border-sensitive areas like Gulmarg and Sonmarg, Pahalgam lacks a robust military presence. Two key failures stand out:
• Security was relaxed in the name of tourist privacy.
• Intelligence agencies failed to flag vulnerabilities, despite recent threats.
Dal Lake, located near the heavily fortified zones of Badamibagh and Panthachowk—home to the 15 Corps, BSF, ISBT, and CRPF—may have appeared too risky for militants. In contrast, Pahalgam became a ‘safer’ option for them.
A Symbolic Strike Amid Global Attention
Notably, the attack coincided with the visit of the US Vice President—suggesting a strategic effort by hostile elements to embarrass India internationally.
Pahalgam, still a vital base camp for the Amarnath Yatra, has once again been turned into a stage for bloodshed.
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