This is yet another tragedy for Kashmir, the troubled region with so much to offer

Telegraph

29-04-2025

It is a bittersweet reality that Kashmir, perhaps the finest region on the Indian subcontinent, has once again been struck by tragedy.
Tucked away in the far north, Kashmir's natural splendour is almost mythic in its beauty – a place where orchards stretch across terraced hillsides, alpine meadows are cradled by the mighty Himalayas, and houseboats sway gently upon mirror-like lakes.
And yet, despite its serene landscapes, the region has long been marked by periods of conflict and hardship, with the recent terror attack in Pahalgam – one of the most visited towns in Kashmir – on April 22, adding another chapter to its turbulent history.
Kashmir's modern history is rooted in the partition of British India in 1947. After India gained independence, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, acceded to India on October 26, 1947. This decision came in response to a tribal invasion supported by Pakistan, which prompted Maharaja to seek Indian military assistance.
He signed the Instrument of Accession, a legal document, to formally join the Dominion of India. War between India and Pakistan followed, eventually leading to the establishment of an UN-brokered ceasefire line – later renamed the 'Line of Control' after the 1972 Simla Agreement – which became a de facto border. Despite this, tensions have persisted, and insurgencies and shifting political winds have since shaped the region, leaving Kashmir as one of South Asia's most sensitive – and complex – corners, despite its natural gifts.
And yet, there was a time when Kashmir wore an entirely different face. From the 1970s through to the early 1980s, it was a magnet for visiting families, honeymooners, writers, artists, and backpackers from across India and beyond.
Tourists came in droves, drawn by Srinagar's houseboats – stationary homes of intricately carved walnut and deodar (Indian cedar) woods – rocked gently on the placid surface of Dal and Nigeen Lakes (the former also has a floating vegetable and flower market that operates in the early morning); the Mughal gardens perfumed with rose; the endless slopes of Gulmarg's meadows; and the region's mercifully cool climes.
Kashmir's allure even found its way into Bollywood, becoming a popular backdrop for the iconic song-and-dance montages. Often dubbed the 'Venice of the East', it offered a gentler face of India – one of languid shikara (gondola) rides, saffron-scented markets, and a famously warm welcome.
I remember my first visit to Srinagar vividly. It was years ago, in early autumn, the valley dressed in its most luminous colours – russet, gold, ochre. I stayed on a houseboat moored on Nigeen Lake, where the water mirrored the tall poplars lining the shore.
In the evening, I glided across the glassy lake in a shikara, and the boatman hummed a Kashmiri folk song as the oars dipped into the water. The air smelled faintly of woodsmoke, and for those few hours, everything seemed to slow down – the world felt quieter and simpler. It felt like a place outside of time, in the way only the most special of destinations seem to do.
Yet, even with such serenity, there were signs of the region's complexities. Soldiers were a familiar sight, but life, in its own way, continued – unpredictable, but resilient.
In recent years, the valley has gingerly inched back towards normalcy, with domestic tourism gradually trickling in. A surge in investment has led to the rise of boutique hotels and homestays, along with improved connectivity, including the launch of the all-weather, glass-roofed Vistadome Coach on the scenic Budgam-Banihal route in 2023, offering sweeping valley views.
Winter sports have also regained popularity, with skiers carving tracks down Gulmarg's powdery slopes – one of Asia's finest ski destinations – and trekking groups venturing into the pine forests of Aru and Sonamarg. Meanwhile, local entrepreneurs continue to preserve traditional crafts, from papier-mâché and pashmina weaving to intricately carved walnut wood furniture, a hallmark of the region's artisanal heritage.
Emerging attractions – like the ancient megaliths of Burzahom, often called the 'Stonehenge of Kashmir' – revealed a region eager to reclaim its place on the traveller's map.
This momentum had been significant. Visitor numbers surged from 3.4 million in 2020 to a record-breaking 23.6 million in 2024, including 65,000 foreign tourists – an astonishing feat in a region once marked red on travel advisories. International events like the 2023 G20 Tourism Working Group meeting, and a new policy allowing films to be shot at even sensitive locations near the Line of Control, helped bolster the image of a Kashmir open and welcoming to the world once more.
Yet, it is against this backdrop of hard-won optimism that the recent attack struck particularly hard. Occurring at the height of the tourist season, when the hotels were full and the Tulip Festival – set against the snowy peaks of the Zabarwan Range – had just broken records by drawing more than 800,000 visitors in a single month, the incident has sent ripples of concern throughout the region. Mass cancellations swiftly followed, and Kashmir's tourism-dependent economy faces fresh uncertainty.
The British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has long maintained a cautionary stance on travel to Kashmir – and in light of this most recent event, it is likely the 'do not travel' advisory will remain firmly in place for some time to come. For Kashmir's hoteliers, guides, and artisans, who had glimpsed the possibility of sustained prosperity, the blow is acute.
What the future holds is hard to say. The road to recovery will undoubtedly be long and fraught with challenges, needing time, patience, and unyielding effort.
But if there's one thing Kashmir has always shown, it's that – no matter the hardship – it finds a way to endure, much like the chinar trees in winter that stand tall and strong despite the biting cold and heavy snow. The region will rise again.