Scared tourists found sanctuary in Kashmiri homes that opened their doors to strangers in the aftermath of Tuesday’s terror attack in Pahalgam, Over the next three days, many would become friends for life.
Rupali Patil, a Pune resident holidaying in Pahalgam, said she was afraid to step out of her hotel room after hearing of the massacre.
“Amid the chaos and confusion, I and many others found comfort in the homes of Kashmiris who took the responsibility of keeping us safe. Some of them travelled to get members of our group who were elsewhere back safely,” she said.
‘Our humanity is stronger than terrorists’ hate’
Ramdas Khopde, also from Maharashtra, was offered shelter by Adill Malik, of Sopore. “We were looking for safe accommodation when we met this Kashmiri family who not only took us in at a difficult time but refused to take money,” he said.
The Maliks said they wanted to send out “a positive message to the world” at a time of crisis in J&K. “What happened in Pahalgam was a cowardly attack, but we want to say that our humanity is stronger than the hate in the hearts of those terrorists,” Adill told TOI over phone from Sopore. “Scores of Kashmiri families have lost their tourism business for the entire season. But at this moment, our priority is safety of all tourists. We won’t let any tourist suffer,” he said.
Taxi driver and tourist guide Adil Shaikh, who has been hosting another group of tourists from Maharashtra in his home near Srinagar, said Kashmir’s famed hospitality had been put to the test by terrorists who had nothing to do with the region’s culture and traditions.
Most tourists in Srinagar have flights scheduled for this weekend. Till then, most would prefer staying with Kashmiri families rather than in hotels.
