Stories of Strength in the Shadow of Sorrow

HEALING AFTER THE PAHALGAM TRAGEDY:

- AIYAN GULZAR

On a serene April morning, the serene meadows of Baisaran Valley, affectionately known as the “Mini Switzerland” of Kashmir, were bathed in the gentle golden light of spring.

Birds chirped over the snow-capped ridges, and ponies trotted along forested trails as tourists from across India explored the breath-taking alpine beauty. But that calm was brutally shattered when a sudden terrorist attack targeted a group of unsuspecting visitors, transforming a peaceful landscape into one of blood, chaos, and heartbreak.

The news spread like wildfire. The Valley, long accustomed to turbulence, was again thrust into the national spotlight, but this time, it wasn't only the horror of the incident that gripped the nation; it was the extraordinary response of the local people.

When terror struck, the first responders weren't from the government or emergency services, they were the locals. Pony handlers, shopkeepers, dhaba owners, and shepherds raced to help in any way they could. In the absence of immediate medical aid, pony guides carried the wounded, some on their backs, others on make-shift stretchers, down the treacherous trails. Rafiq Dar, a pony handler, recalled carrying a bleeding child nearly two kilometres through the dense forest. “We didn’t think about who they were, tourists or strangers—we only knew they needed us,” he said.