And now, India is using tourism as a weapon against terrorism in Kashmir!

India is now using tourism as a weapon against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), popularly known as the Switzerland of Asia.

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

Bollywood stars and country-wide tour operators are joining hands to instil a sense of confidence that was shattered to some extent by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which left 25 tourists dead.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is also joining the effort by appealing to countries that issued travel advisories telling their citizens not to visit J&K after the attack, including the US, the UK, Australia and Canada.

In a special briefing for about 20 envoys last week, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had also made a specific request that countries that had put up the advisories should take them down, and consider the impact the cancellations by tourists would have on the economy in the State.

Officials also said the J&K government and the Centre are likely to launch joint campaigns to see tourism back on track in Kashmir. Since the abrogation of Article 370, tourism has been the Centre's rallying cry as a sign of a return to normalcy in Kashmir.