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Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Indian Express
Pahalgam terror attack: ‘Saw death… not sure if I would ever return to Kashmir'
For Debasish Bhattacharya and his family, it was their maiden visit to the Kashmir Valley. And it turned out to be a nightmare last Tuesday when they saw people being shot dead in front of their eyes in the meadows of Pahalgam. 'Our 5-day trip to Kashmir was to conclude on April 26, and we planned to spend a day in Pahalgam. On April 22, we reached the Baisaran meadow, which is called mini-Switzerland, from the rear. Not many people were there. We were all very relaxed. My wife was looking at shawls, and my son was walking around, while I took photos. Suddenly, I heard gunshots. I asked the local photographer. He told me that sometimes, to scare the monkeys away, shots are fired by forest officials,' recounted Bhattacharya, a professor at Assam University Speaking to The Sunday Express over the phone from his Silchar residence, Bhattacharya said he saw four terrorists gun down men in front of his eyes. 'After shooting a man, one of the terrorists quietly walked up to us and asked me, 'kya bol rahe ho?' (What are you saying?). Everyone near us was chanting kalma (Islamic verses), and I also started chanting. Though out of fear, nothing was coming out of my mouth. I do not know what the terrorist felt, and he walked away. A little while later, the terrorist returned from the opposite direction, took a round and walked away. When the terrorist was around 20 metres away, we all ran for our lives. Crossed the fence and wandered for two hours in the mountain where there was no cellphone signal and we didn't know where we were heading,' he said. 'We were still in fear that terrorists could reappear from the forest and shoot them. We followed the hoof marks of the horses and reached a village. We heaved a sigh of relief when they were able to contact our local driver. A local person helped us reach safety. A family from Chhattisgarh was also with us. They got separated, and their child was with us. We quickly returned to Srinagar,' he said. 'Definitely, it's a new life for us. We faced death right on our faces,' the professor of the Bengali Department said. Bhattacharya is not sure if he would ever return to Kashmir, but his son Drobadeep wants to visit the Valley again; sometime later.
Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Indian Express
Pahalgam terror attack: How Islamic verse ‘Kalma' recital helped Hindu professor at Assam University survive: ‘Feels like second life'
Death was just a bullet away from Debasish Bhattacharya, an Assam University professor Bhattacharya who was on a six-day Kashmir tour with his family, on the fateful day when terrorists gunned down tourists in Pahalgam on April 22. Born to a Hindu Brahmin family, Bhattacharya, while recounting the spine-chilling story of survival, told The Indian Express that he recited Islamic verse 'Kalma' as he saw four terrorists gun down (Hindu) men in front of his eyes. 'Our Kashmiri tour was from April 21 to April 26, and we were to stay at Pahalgam for a day. On that day, we entered the arena called Mini Switzerland from the back side. Not many people were there on that side. We were all very relaxed. My wife was looking at some shawls while my son was walking around and I took some photos. Suddenly, I heard gunshots and asked the local photographer about it. He said shots are fired by the forest people to scare away monkeys,' said Bhattacharya, the head of the Bengali Department of Assam University. Bhattacharya recalled that more gunshots were heard and his son saw one of the terrorists ask something to a tourist and then shoot him. 'Quickly, we all ran towards a tree and lay down. Another couple with a child came there for shelter. A terrorist came there and asked the husband something that was inaudible to us. Then I saw the man shoot him dead in front of my eyes,' said the professor. Bhattacharya said that after the murder, the terrorist quietly walked up to the group and asked the professor, 'Kya bol rahe ho?' (What are you saying?) 'At that moment everyone was chanting 'La ilaha illallah'. I also started chanting that verse, even though no sound was coming out of my mouth, out of fear. I do not know what the terrorist felt, but he walked away. But then again, the terrorist returned from the opposite side, took a round, and then walked away. When the terrorist was 20 metres away, we all crossed the fence and ran for our lives and wandered for two hours in the mountains, not getting any signal,' Bhattacharya recounted. Bhattacharya mentioned that with no mobile network and having no idea from where the terrorists would emerge from the mountains, they followed the horses' footprints and reached a village. 'Much to our relief, we were able to contact our local driver, and a local resident took us to safety. A family from Chhattisgarh was also with us had got separated from the group. Luckily, their child and the other members of that family were with us and we quickly descended and came back to Srinagar. It's like a new life to me I faced death right in the face.' This was the family's first visit to Kashmir, but Bhattacharya does not know if he will visit the Valley again. But he says his son Drobadeep Bhattacharya would visit the place in the future.
Mint
24-04-2025
- Mint
Pahalgam terror attack: How a Hindu Brahmin survived by reciting Kalima, the Islamic prayer; ‘When I started...'
Debasish Bhattacharya, a Hindu Brahmin, narrowly escaped the terrorists' bullets during the deadly Pahalgam terror attack by reciting the Islamic 'Kalima', a declaration of faith that forms the core beliefs of Muslims. Bhattacharya, a Bengali professor at Assam University in Silchar, was on holiday with his family in Jammu and Kashmir. Just 20 minutes into their visit to the Baisaran meadows, the Brahmin heard a gunshot, which he initially assumed was fired by the forest department to scare away wild animals. 'We were just enjoying the view when I heard a gunshot. When I inquired about it, I was told it might be from the forest department to scare away wild animals,' Bhattacharya told NDTV over a telephonic interview. However, he soon saw a man with a gun who shot a tourist after a brief conversation with the couple. Soon, four gun-totting terrorists started targeting tourists visiting the picturesque spot. Bhattacharya said the people around him crouched on the ground and started reciting the 'Kalma', a declaration of faith that forms the core beliefs of Muslims. 'So I also followed them. A terrorist walked up to us and shot the man next to me. Then he looked at me and asked what I was doing,' Bhattacharya said. 'Kya bol raha hai,' asked the terrorist in Hindi. Terrified Bhattacharya said he started reciting the Kalma louder, 'and did not reply to his question'. 'I don't know what happened; he just turned around and left to join his group on the other side,' he shared. Emphasising that it wasn't just the Kalima that saved his life, the professor said he followed what everyone else was doing in an 'absolutely instantaneous, heard mentality' way. The professor said that after the terrorists left, he, along with his wife and son, immediately abandoned the place and walked back. 'I somehow managed to escape by crossing the 7-foot high fence,' he said, adding that they walked following the hoof marks of the horse. Bhattacharya told NDTV that locals helped them throughout. 'Our horse guide (pony riders_ came searching for us. They came back for us. They found us, and took us back.' He shared that the driver of the cab they had hailed for coming to the Baisaran meadows rushed them back to their hotel in Srinagar. Bhattacharya, who shared that his family's trip was to end on Saturday, said the Assam government is making arrangements to bring him and his family back to their hometown. The Assam Chief Minister's Office (CMO) also posted an update about the same on Twitter (now X). It said: 'The CM Office Assam has spoken to a survivor from Assam of the dastardly Pahalgam Terror Attack and has taken a full brief of the incident which they have faced yesterday.' 'The entire family's return to the state is being arranged on priority, and the government of Assam is in touch with the government of India to bring the family back to Assam at the earliest,' it added. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also said his office is in touch with Bhattacharya. 'We will ensure his safe return to Assam soon.' A group of terrorists opened fire at Baisaran meadows, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists from other states, and injuring several others.
Mint
24-04-2025
- Mint
Pahalgam terror attack: How a Hindu Brahmin survived by reciting Kalma, the Islamic prayer, ‘When I started...'
Debasish Bhattacharya, a Hindu Brahmin, was saved by a whisker from the terrorists' bullets during the deadly Pahalgam terror attack by reciting the Islamic verse 'Kalma'. Bhattacharya, a Bengali Professor at Silchar's Assam University, was holidaying with his family in Jammu and Kashmir. Just 20 minutes into their visit to the Baisaran meadows, the Brahmin heard a gunshot, which he initially thought was from the forest department to keep wild animals away. 'We were just enjoying the view when I heard a gunshot. When I inquired about it, I was told it might be from the forest department to scare away wild animals,' Bhattacharya told NDTV over a telephonic interview. However, he soon saw a man with a gun who shot a tourist after a brief conversation with the couple. Soon, four gun-totting terrorists started targeting tourists visiting the picturesque spot. Bhattacharya said the people around him crouched on the ground and started reciting the 'Kalma', a declaration of faith that forms the core beliefs of Muslims. "So I also followed them. A terrorist walked up to us and shot the man next to me. Then he looked at me and asked what I was doing," Bhattacharya said. 'Kya bol raha hai,' asked the terrorist in Hindi. Terrified Bhattacharya said he started reciting the Kalma louder, 'and did not reply to his question'. 'I don't know what happened; he just turned around and left to join his group on the other side,' he shared. Emphasising that it wasn't just the Kalma that saved his life, the professor said he followed what everyone else was doing in an 'absolutely instantaneous, heard mentality' way. The professor said that after the terrorists left, he, along with his wife and son, immediately abandoned the place and walked back. 'I somehow managed to escape by crossing the 7-foot high fence,' he said, adding that they walked following the hoof marks of the horse. Bhattacharya told NDTV that locals helped them throughout. 'Our horse guide (pony riders_ came searching for us. They came back for us. They found us, and took us back.' He shared that the driver of the cab they had hailed for coming to the Baisaran meadows rushed them back to their hotel in Srinagar. Bhattacharya, who shared that his family's trip was to end on Saturday, said the Assam government is making arrangements to bring him and his family back to their hometown. The Assam Chief Minister's Office (CMO) also posted an update about the same on Twitter (now X). It said: 'The CM Office Assam has spoken to a survivor from Assam of the dastardly Pahalgam Terror Attack and has taken a full brief of the incident which they have faced yesterday.' 'The entire family's return to the state is being arranged on priority and the government of Assam is in touch with the govt of India to bring the family back to Assam at the earliest,' it added. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also said his office is in touch with Bhattacharya. 'We will ensure his safe return to Assam soon.' A group of terrorists opened fire at Baisaran meadows, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists from other states, and injuring several others. Some of the eyewitnesses have claimed that the victims were asked about their religion before they were shot. The terrorists only targeted men. First Published: 24 Apr 2025, 12:05 PM IST
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Time of India
Pahalgam terror attack: Top must read stories from TOI
NEW DELHI: He was held at gunpoint and asked a chilling question: 'Are you Hindu or Muslim?' He stayed silent, perhaps hoping silence could save him. Then came another demand — 'Recite the kalma.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He couldn't. 'I am Hindu,' he began to say, but he never got to finish. A gunshot ended his life mid-sentence. Another man, also Hindu, had expertise in Islamic scripture. That knowledge — once just an expression of shared culture — became his shield. In that horrifying moment, it saved his life. The terror attack in Pahalgam has left a trail of unimaginable grief, claiming the lives of 28 innocent tourists and scarring families forever. Eyewitnesses and survivors have begun to speak, their voices trembling with the weight of trauma. Their accounts, shared with TOI, capture the unspeakable horror of that day — a day when humanity was tested and fear reigned. Here are 10 must read stories from TOI — each one a reminder of the lives lost, the families broken, and the courage found in the face of terror. Assam prof recites Islamic verse, wife wipes off sindoor to bluff terrorists Debasish Bhattacharya is well-versed in Islamic scripture. That knowledge helped the Hindu associate professor of Bengali in Silchar's Assam University snatch life from the jaws of death during the terror strike in Pahalgam on Tuesday. With a gun held against his head by one of the terrorists, the 58-year-old Bengali Brahmin was asked to recite the first kalma if he wanted to live. 'Overwhelmed by fear, I began to chant the first kalma loudly. After some time, I realised the gunman had retreated, and we scrambled to a fence behind us. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now We climbed over it and fled into a jungle,' Bhattacharya said. Florida-based techie fails to prove he's Muslim, gunned down in front of family Sohini Adhikary (37), the widow of Florida-based techie Bitan Adhikary, couldn't hold back her tears while recounting the horrific experience of the terror strike in which she lost her husband. Never did she imagine that the vacation to the picturesque valley would change her life forever. Name's Bharath, said Bengaluru techie, took bullet to head "My name is Bharath," a 35-year-old Bengalurean said when a bunch of armed terrorists confronted him in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday. What was a matter for pride for techie Bharath Bhushan was enough for the anti-India terrorists to shoot him dead in cold blood. Childhood friends from Pune on 1st holiday with families died together It was a friendship that had survived most of life's twists and turns. But on their first holiday together with their families, to beautiful Pahalgam, both Kaustubh Gunbote (58) and Santosh Jagdale (50) would be shot by terrorists, becoming the two casualties from Pune. Indore man killed, ponywallahs save his son Terrorists who wreaked mayhem at Pahalgam seem to have sent scouts to mingle with tourists for several minutes, as if doing a recce of targets. And when all hell broke loose, it was pony-wallahs who saved several lives, including that of an Indore youth whose father was killed. This haunting account of the comes from Indore's Nathaniel family, who lost one of their own — Sushil — to the heinous crime. Newlyweds fled on horseback with gunshots ringing in the air Komal Soni was still teary-eyed and yet relieved when she boarded the flight out of Srinagar and reached Delhi airport, a day after the terrorist attack took place in Baisaran meadow, about 5km from Pahalgam. Her fingers clutched Mihir's hand tightly as if letting go would bring the sounds back — shots, screams, and the silence that followed. Too much salt can at times save lives, realises family from Kerala The fried rice was too salty. So an 11-member Kerala family reordered lunch on the way to Pahalgam. That saved their lives. Alby George, his wife Lavanya, their children, Lavanya's parents, and several cousins and their children had set out from Kochi on April 18. After arriving in Srinagar on April 19, they spent two days exploring Gulmarg and Sonmarg. Landslides change course of group's life A group of 40 tourists, including Visakhapatnam couple V S Anand and Ratnam, were rerouted from Kashmir due to landslides on the Srinagar-Jammu highway — an unexpected detour that may have saved their lives. 'Had things gone as planned, we'd have been in Pahalgam during the terror attack,' said Anand. 'It's a miracle .'The group from southern states was diverted to Amritsar and then Manali after weather alerts prompted the travel company to cancel the Kashmir leg. Tour guide Ashish Singhal called it the right decision in hindsight. Slowed down by horses, 28 cheat death Wishing for horses saved their lives. A group of 28 tourists — from Kolhapur, Sangli, Pune, and Ratnagiri — learnt this first hand when their wait for horses delayed their trip to Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow on Tuesday afternoon. The group of 28 had gone to Kashmir on April 17. 'If not for the delay, we'd have been at the attack site. The list of casualties would have had our names too,' said Anil Kurane from Kolhapur. Didn't get Swiss vacay visas in time, so they went on Kashmir honeymoon Amid dancing, feasting and photoshoots, Karnal boy Lt Vinay Narwal and Gurgaon girl Himanshi got married in Mussoorie on April 16. Six days later, a picture of a dazed Himanshi slumped next to her husband's body on a verdant meadow lined with pine trees in Pahalgam became the image of terrorism's devastating fallout.
