Strategic Retreat

For decades, the Kashmir Valley has been India's bittersweet paradox – an exquisite landscape forever haunted by geopolitical uncertainty.

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Each time peace seems within reach, a violent tremor breaks the spell. The deadly attack on tourists at Pahalgam this April was yet another grim reminder of the volatility that lurks beneath Kashmir's breathtaking beauty. The shock of 26 civilian deaths shattered the region's main economic pillar – tourism – just as the valley was preparing for what promised to be a record-breaking summer. The repercussions were immediate and brutal. Cancellations flooded in, hotels fell silent, and boatmen on the Dal Lake found themselves waiting in vain for passengers. More than two-thirds of tourist destinations were swiftly shut down in the wake of the attack, choking the very lifeline that sustains thousands of local families. The fear was palpable – both for personal safety and for economic survival. Yet, amid the gloom, an unexpected resilience is surfacing. A slow but steady trickle of tourists is returning to Kashmir. Indian families from Rajasthan and Delhi have braved public apprehensions to honour their vacation plans, riding water bikes on Dal Lake or wandering through Srinagar's famed gardens. Polish tourists recently arrived in the city, perhaps drawn by curiosity or an instinctive belief that life must go on, terror notwithstanding. There is cautious optimism among hoteliers, guides, and shopkeepers who dare to hope that Kashmir's lost tourist season may not be entirely beyond salvage. A quiet contributor to this recovery is the new rail connection linking Srinagar to Katra. This twice-daily train, running packed and fully booked for months ahead, is not merely a logistical achievement – it is a psychological bridge, reducing the distance between the valley and mainland India in both practical and emotional terms. Pilgrims to Vaishno Devi are now extending their journeys into Kashmir, helping to dispel the fog of fear that the attackers sought to spread.