Pahalgam terror attack strikes govt's normalcy claim, local economy
This story was originally published at 17:47 IST on 23 April 2025
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NEW DELHI – The terrorist attack on tourists in South Kashmir's Pahalgam has shattered the government's assertion of normalcy in the valley following the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The Centre often projected a surge in tourist flow to Jammu and Kashmir as an indicator of normalcy in the valley post abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
On Tuesday, five to six militants shot at tourists in Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam on the basis of their religion. The attack is said to have claimed 26 lives so far and many have sustained injuries.
It was not only the worst terror attack on civilians in nearly two decades, but also indicated a major shift in the strategy of militants in the valley. As a local journalist pointed out, militants have rarely attacked tourists in the valley as they contribute significantly to Kashmir's economy. Terrorists targeted the armed forces, migrant labourers and pilgrims, but they never attacked tourists in the past, said Mir, a Kashmir-based journalist.
An exchange of words between one of the militants and a Karnataka-based female survivor hinted that the objective would be to send a message to Delhi. Pallavi, the survivor from Karnataka, said her husband was shot dead in front of her eyes. "I told them to kill me and my son also." The terrorist responded, "I won't. Go and tell Modi," media reports stated.
The tourism industry was thriving in Jammu and Kashmir. The Union territory recorded a whopping 21 million tourists in 2023 and an all-time high tourist inflow of 23.6 million in 2024. It was quite higher than the nearly 17 million tourists who visited the erstwhile state in 2018, a year before the abrogation.
Pahalgam has been one of the primary tourist attractions in the Union territory. It also serves as one of the two routes of the Amarnath pilgrimage, which attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.
The tourism sector is the main driver of Jammu and Kashmir's economy as it provides jobs to many locals. To promote tourism in the valley, the Union government had the third Tourism Working group meeting of the Group of 20 in Srinagar in May 2023. The meeting elevated Kashmir's global presence and revived tourism in Kashmir, which resulted in the enhancement of tourist arrivals, the economic survey of the Union territory noted. The government had also framed a comprehensive tourism policy in 2020 to attract investment in the tourism industry. It further took a number of policy decisions for infrastructure development and to promote tourism in the Union territory. The decision had started yielding with the number of Indian and international investors like Taj, Vivanta and Lulu Group reportedly entering the region.
The deadly attack during the peak tourist season and before the Shri Amarnath pilgrimage, which will start in July, will put a major dent in the thriving local economy of Kashmir. Following the incident, many people have cancelled and rescheduled their Kashmir visits. The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday asked airline operators to maintain regular fare levels and advised against indulging in surge pricing.
According to locals, the markets were shut in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Pahalgam and other areas of the valley as the trade organisations and state political parties called for a shutdown in protest against the deadly attack. Mir said people across Kashmir are protesting. The political parties are also holding protests against the ghastly terror attack on tourists. There are fears of the return of militancy in the valley and of an economic slowdown after the fresh waves of insecurity. The incidents of stone pelting, which were a thing of the past, may be repeated in the valley after the loss of employment opportunities due to the setback to the tourism industry. End
Reported by Kuldeep Singh
Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj
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