Arun Joshi

Srinagar, August 2

It was darkness in the afternoon for Kashmir as an “advisory” by the state government on Friday asked Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to leave the Valley in light of an impending terror threat directed at them. But such terror threats are a given in Kashmir where armed militancy and counter-insurgency operations have been going on for the past 30 years. The yatra was never disrupted in this manner, nor tourists asked to return to their homes at the earliest.

Kashmir has seen worse times but such steps were never taken in the past 30 years of high militancy in the Valley, even when tourists and pilgrims were actually attacked in 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2007. These steps announced to save the visitors from terrorists and their lethal intentions amid speculation on the Centre delivering on its oft-stated stance on doing away with Article 370 and Article 35A, that grant special status to J&K and exclusive rights to owning immovable property and jobs in the state, plunged the Valley into a literal abyss, as it braced for tough days ahead.

Such steps were not announced even during the Kargil war. In those days, the state government had launched a campaign, beckoning tourists underlining “Kashmir is safe”. But today, it was declared unsafe for tourists and pilgrims.

It is a never-before phenomenon as the annual Himalayan pilgrimage was never shut down and the pilgrims asked to leave, and that too surprisingly when the government was boasting that the yatra had broken the past four years’ record, the pilgrim footfall having crossed three lakh in less than a month. And before and after the start of the pilgrimage on July 1, it was claimed the security arrangements for the pilgrims were “fool-proof”. This time, the security arrangements included a ban on all but pilgrim traffic on the highway for five hours every day

“If this unprecedented magnitude of the security measures is not enough to secure pilgrims and tourists from terror attacks, then what will,” asked a group of pilgrims while looking for transport to go back home.

Soon after the state’s Home Ministry order appeared on the social media, security personnel started alighting from vehicles in full anti-riot dress even as people scurried to ATMs, petrol stations and thronged grocery stores.

None knew what for these  arrangements were being put in place . The speculation ranged from the much-talked-about doing away with Article 35 A to plans change the state’s political map in which the  Valley and Ladakh were to become Union Territories and Jammu a separate state. Driving through congested roads amid people rushing back to their homes, drivers asked one another, “What’s going to happen?”. They then moved their hands as if praying for peace.

Tourists who had started arriving, and some of them  came even  in the last flight that landed in Srinagar this evening, were told there was an advisory to return to their homes as soon as possible.

This was a body blow to the tourist season that had started picking up after a long spell after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed .

With the mystery surrounding on the purpose of such an exercise, fears have deepened in the Valley,  and it is looking at dark times ahead.