A month after meadow massacre, empty hotels, restaurants speak of Pahalgam’s desolation | India News

PAHALGAM: On a relatively warm May morning, Mohit Kumar stands beside an empty table at a Pahalgam restaurant, his eyes locked on the road in the hope of sighting a potential customer.Until a month ago, the 38-year-old native of UP’s Bijnor would barely get time to glance outside as he and 21 others waiting tables at the restaurant served customers filing in and out all day.The silence at Poonam Restaurant tells the story of what’s changed in a month at J&K’s Pahalgam since terror struck at Baisaran meadow on April 22.“We called Pahalgam ‘Mini India’,” said Mohit, one among 14 waiters at the restaurant still holding on to their jobs. “We were among the first restaurants to open, confident that tourism in these parts would only grow bigger. Now, the situation is such that not even Kashmiris visit Pahalgam.”Muhammad Tasneem, who owns Poonam Restaurant, is banking on the next festive season to resurrect Pahalgam’s flagging tourism sector. “Hopefully, the tourist footfall will increase during Diwali. We have seen the worst over the past three decades, and hopefully this too shall pass. It takes a lot of time to build trust.”In the mid-90s, Tasneem’s father Mustafa, whose roots are in Bijnor, rented the place and set up shop with employees mostly from his hometown.A few metres from the restaurant, Darshan Ram, 18, sells wooden key holders, key chains, pen boxes, and toy shikaras inscribed with “I love Kashmir” or “Gift from Kashmir”. Before the meadow massacre, Darshan’s family would earn between Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 a day selling souvenirs.“In the past 10 days, I haven’t sold anything,” he told TOI on Thursday.Darshan landed in J&K from Rajasthan this Feb with his parents and two siblings. When he saw Pahalgam, it was love at first sight. “It was going well for us. Now, we don’t know how to survive if the situation doesn’t return to normal.”Srinagar native Nawaz, who runs Kashmir Arts Emporium, cleans the outlet and waits all day for customers who never turn up. “I have been doing this for the past three weeks, praying each new day would mark a change. Most shops are shut, but I am not giving up yet,” the 37-year-old said.At Hotel Heevan Pahalgam, nestled on the banks of the Lidder, Asif Burza wears a despondent look as he speaks of how one brazen act of violence destroyed so many lives, livelihoods and Pahalgam’s reputation.Burza, who led a protest against terrorism after the April 22 killings, said his phone wouldn’t stop ringing in the aftermath of the attack as families and friends of guests at the hotel called to enquire about their safety.He remains hopeful that tourists will return. “Pahalgam holds countless memories for so many people, it belongs to everyone,” he said.At the entrance to the hotel, a collage of photographs featuring actors Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and other celebrities reminds visitors of Pahalgam’s enduring connection with cinema and popular culture.“People have deep emotional ties to this place,” Burza said. “They will return and, together, we will defeat the designs of those who aim to destroy tourism here.”The few tourists who have visited Pahalham since the terrorist attack have mostly spent time along the picture-perfect riverbank. All parks in Pahalgam and nearby destinations such as Betaab Valley, Aru Valley, Chandanwari, Lidderwat, Sheshnag, Tulian Lake and the Kolhai Glacier.A Chennai resident visiting Pahalgam along with 11 members of his extended family said he planned the trip three months ago. “I didn’t postpone it even after the terrorist attack as I expected security to be in place. I was right. The parks are shut, but the riverside is pretty,” he said.Hotel operators said the Amarnath Yatra, beginning July 3, could potentially be the start of a resurgence in tourism in these parts and pick up further during the autumnal festivities.