SRINAGAR, April 25 — The meadows of Baisaran Valley, usually echoing with laughter and the quiet buzz of holidaymakers escaping India’s scorching summer, turned into a scene of unspeakable horror this week. Survivors of the worst civilian attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in years are still reeling from the trauma — their lives forever changed by the crack of gunfire that stole fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons.
Twenty-six men lost their lives when gunmen emerged from the pine forests surrounding the picturesque tourist destination near Pahalgam and opened fire with automatic weapons. Women and children were spared — not out of mercy, but as part of a chilling message meant to reverberate through the corridors of power in New Delhi.
“They told me to live — just to deliver a message,” said Pallavi, who watched her husband executed before her eyes. She begged the attackers to shoot her too. Instead, they pointed their guns away and said, “Go tell Modi.”
Indian officials have squarely blamed the attack on Pakistan, accusing it of enabling cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has denied involvement. But to the survivors, geopolitics is a distant concern. Their grief is immediate, personal, and searing.
One man’s cousin recounted how the attackers asked him to declare his faith — a twisted test that determined who would live and who would not. “He was asked if he was Muslim,” the cousin recalled, his voice shaking. “He wasn’t. They shot him in the head. His wife — they spared her.”
No one came. No help. No protection.
For many families, the pain is compounded by a haunting question: Why wasn’t anyone there to protect them?
“I kept thinking help would come,” said Shital Kalathiya, whose husband was among the victims. “But there wasn’t a single security person around. If they knew the risks, why did they let people go up there?”
Some survivors told NDTV that the wounded lay bleeding for hours. Had emergency response teams arrived sooner, they say, some of the victims might still be alive.
As the country mourns and tensions rise, these families are left with unbearable loss, unanswered questions, and memories that will haunt them forever.
This wasn’t just an act of terror. It was personal, calculated, and meant to send a message. But for the survivors, the only message that matters is one of loss — and the haunting silence left behind.
