After Pahalgam Terror Attack, Celina Jaitly Recalls Childhood Memories Of Kashmir: "Couldn't Play Safely With Friends"

NDTV

28-04-2025

Quick Take
Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed.
Pahalgam terror attack shocks Indians nationwide, marking a tragic event.
Celina Jaitly recalls her childhood memories of Kashmir filled with fear.
The actress reflects on military escorts during her school commutes in Kashmir.
New Delhi:
Pahalgam terror attack has sent shockwaves to the Indians across the regions. Termed as one of the deadliest attacks of recent times, Pahalgam has triggered a plethora of emotions and memories for people irrespective of socio-economic standing.
Celina Jaitly, who spent her childhood in Kashmir, recalled her early impression of the valley in a long post on Instagram. Celina shared a picture of herself, performing on stage. She termed her Kashmir memories "deeply tinged with fear."
Celina began her note with these words, "This is me as a little girl in Kashmir, studying at Army Public School, Udhampur. This particular photo was taken at the North Star Camp in Patni Top - I must have been around 8 or 9 years old.
As the daughter of a #pahadi Regiment army officer, I had the privilege of growing up across the breathtaking mountains of India from Kashmir to Uttarakhand to Arunachal Pradesh. But my memories of Kashmir are deeply tinged with fear."
"I often asked my late mother, "Ma, why do we have to ride to school with armed guards? Army brats will relate to military three-ton truck or a Shaktiman school bus. I always thought Why must we live in fear like this?" I did not understand why.
I still vividly remember the protocols drilled into us... how to duck, how to stay silent if firing broke out around us," she went on to add.
"Having spent my earlier childhood in the peaceful hills of Ranikhet and Shimla, it broke my heart that in #kashmir , I couldn't freely wander the meadows, pick wildflowers, or play safely with friends.
It was even harder to understand how a land once known as Rishi Vaer, the "Valley of Saints," a cradle of ancient Hindu wisdom, Shaivism, and Kashmiri culture could fall into such sorrow. Kashmir, once a beacon of spirituality, philosophy, and natural beauty, had been slowly consumed by violence and te##or," were Celina's words.
Commenting on the Pahalgam terror attack, Celina wrote, "The recent te##or attacks in #pahalgam have brought back many of these fleeting memories, a haunting reminder that for decades, te##or has overshadowed the peace and grand beauty of our beloved Indian mountains. It is now or never. We must put an end to this cycle of fear that has gripped generations. Only then can we reclaim the true spirit and purpose of these sacred mountains to be places of peace, wonder, and spiritualism once again. Jai Hind !!"
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A post shared by Celina Jaitly (@celinajaitlyofficial)
On April 22, terrorists shot down 26 innocent people, who were holidaying in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack.