SRINAGAR: Amid emotional scenes in the Assembly, Altaf Ahmad Kaloo, the local lawmaker from Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), called for the passage of a resolution ensuring that incidents like the Baisaran massacre never happen again. Kaloo, recounting the horror that struck Baisaran on April 22, said Kashmir had united above party politics to manage the crisis that claimed 26 lives and left the entire region shaken.
“We reached at 5 pm and worked till 2:30 in the night managing the crisis,” Kaloo said, recalling the frantic efforts to save lives after the attack that killed 26 people among the 1,100-odd locals and non-local vendors gathered at Baisaran. “Sakina Itoo fled and started crying. The last time such a tragedy happened was in 2000. It has happened again after 25 years. Why, I do not know,” he told the Assembly.
Kaloo called for the House to formally appreciate the extraordinary efforts of ordinary citizens who risked their lives to rescue the trapped. “Adil Shah’s sacrifice and the work done by others in rescuing over 1,100 people must be put on record. We all must congratulate them,” he said.
In his address, Kaloo noted that there are claims that the spot was closed for visitors but it is not correct. He said it was open in 2024 as well. “I heard that there was a security lapse. If there was, we must see it. I tell the Chief Minister this with utmost sincerity. The road was never really closed; it remained open. If there was a lapse, it must be corrected,” Kaloo insisted.
He praised the people of Kashmir for showing how crises should be handled, transcending political divisions. “From the first day, people worked together, without thinking of politics,” he said, pointing out that even the Chief Minister personally visited Adil Shah’s family to offer condolences.
Kaloo also touched upon the national impact of the massacre, especially the harassment faced by Kashmiri students studying outside the state. “After the attack, Kashmir raised slogans like Qatloun Kou Peash Karo and pro-India slogans. Respect these sentiments. Our kids studying across India should not be tortured,” he said. He urged the Home Minister to ensure the safety and dignity of Kashmiri students across the country and cautioned against further alienation of Kashmir’s younger generation.
Reflecting on the tourist sector, Kaloo expressed deep appreciation for those visitors who did not cancel their Kashmir travel plans in the aftermath of the attack. “I salute every tourist who stood with us and continued with their itineraries. We must put this on record,” he said, in a veiled reference to reports that destinations like Shimla had tried to lure tourists with claims of religious neutrality. “We are hurt. We are injured. Yet our spirit remains,” he said.
Kaloo’s impassioned speech came amid demands from multiple quarters for a full security review of tourist routes, particularly Baisaran, a picturesque meadow above Pahalgam that had been considered a relatively safe space for visitors.
