CHENNAI: In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, the tourists from Tamil Nadu started arriving in batches at the Chennai airport on the wee hours of Thursday. The tourists, though jolted by what happened at the scenic tourist spot, nevertheless carried with them stories of considerate Kashmiris who escorted them to safety and helped them during the time of crisis. A group of 48 people who arrived in Chennai at 8.30 am said that they were even confident that they would be able to finish their last leg of the trip – a round of sightseeing in Srinagar on Wednesday, a day after the attack -before returning to Tamil Nadu as per their original schedule.Nitish of Srirangam, who was part of the group, said that the local people there took the utmost care in ensuring the group’s safety. “They treated the tourists as if they were family and made it their priority to take us to hotels. They did not see us as Hindus, Muslims or any other religious groups, they saw us as friends,” he said. Prior to them, another batch, the first of the larger tourist groups to return, had arrived at 1:30 am. The 19 tourists were taken to their hometowns through travel arrangements made by the state government. The group that arrived at 8:30 am will also be taken to their respective hometowns, government officials said. Expressing relief, Suryanarayanan of Srirangam told TNIE, “Some of us in the group woke up late on Tuesday morning which delayed our visit to Baisaran meadows. If our plan was on schedule, we would have been at the spot at the same time as when the attack took place.”Suryanarayanan and his wife were part of a group of around 69 people who had gone to Kashmir for a summer holiday. The trip was arranged by a private association based in Chennai which has members across the state.Natrajan (48) of Tiruchy, who is a member of the association, had gone on the trip with his wife and two sons. He told TNIE, “The association arranges trips once every two years. Last time, we went to Kodaikanal. For the first time, we had planned a trip outside Tamil Nadu.” Natrajan said that the group reached Kashmir on Sunday. After two days of sightseeing, they went to Pahlagam as per their plan. They were six kilometers away from the Baisaran Valley and were having lunch at eateries when the terrorists struck. “Even though we heard some noises, we were not sure what it was all about. The shops where we were eating started shutting quickly and we were asked to return to our hotels,” Natarajan said, adding that when asked locals said only that there was a small problem and asked them to leave as soon as possible. “Only after we were halfway to our hotel, we were told about the attack. The army personnel then took over the security of the moving vehicles and we were escorted back to our rooms. The gate of our hotel was locked for the entire day. However, on Wednesday, all of us were taken to the sightseeing spots in Srinagar after following necessary protocols. Then as per our original schedule, we boarded out flights from Srinagar to Chennai via Hyderabad.”Nitish added that the general public should not avoid visiting Kashmir due to this attack. He said that since tourism is the lifeline of the locals there, the public should support them. “If you have plans to visit Kashmir, but are worried about the attacks, postpone or delay your trip but do not cancel it” he said.Talking about Balachandru, one of the group’s members who has been hospitalised at Pahalgam, P Subramaniam said, “As soon as he heard about the news, Balachandru complained of chest pain. He was rushed to a military hospital where first aid was provided. An ECG test was conducted and from there he was referred to GMC in Anantnag. There a procedure to place a stent was performed and Balachandru is well now.”Speaking to TNIE, M Vallalar, Commissioner, Rehabilitation & Welfare of Non Resident Tamils, said, “Tamil Nadu tourists in Kashmir are returning in multiple batches. Till Thursday, two batches have come, one more batch will be coming on Friday morning. To assist with the people who are returning, the state government has sent Aftab Rasool IAS to Kashmir.” .
Source link
