It has been nearly 10 days since 26 people were killed in the dastardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. Since most of those killed in the attack were tourists, the popular tourist destination bore a deserted look for obvious reasons.
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00:00Good evening, hello and welcome to a news today special coming to you from Srinagar
00:05where we will be looking at the fallout of that horrific Baisaran massacre
00:10with special reports, guests and much more.
00:14We'll have a special ground zero from Pehelgaam
00:17where remember people are still recovering from the trauma
00:21of what happened on the 22nd of April.
00:25So there's plenty ahead on this special from Srinagar
00:28but first, the headlines.
00:31The US Defence Secretary Hexet now dials Rajnath Singh.
00:36Hexet reiterates US government support for India's fight against terror
00:41calls for a de-escalation of tensions.
00:44Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke to S. Jai Shankar with a similar plea.
00:51Every terrorist behind Pehelgaam massacre will be hunted down
00:58declares Home Minister Amit Shah in his first public statement after the terror attack.
01:03Pakistan shuts down the WAGA border.
01:10Pakistan nationals deported by India are now stranded in Atari.
01:17India shuts its airspace to Pakistani airlines in retaliation to Pakistan's closure of its airspace.
01:25Air India writes to the government, says the losses could be in crores
01:31if airlines don't fly over Pakistan's space.
01:36The Prime Minister inaugurates the WAVE Summit in Mumbai,
01:39calls for global creative collaboration,
01:42says it's right time to create in India and create for the world.
01:46Pushes for a creator economy.
01:47And the US and Ukraine sign a minerals deal.
01:54Ukraine will not have to return the aid it received from America
01:57to fight the war with Russia.
02:11But first, our top story today.
02:15But first, our top story today.
02:17I am here today in Srinagar.
02:20Through the day, I have been in Pehelgaam.
02:23Pehelgaam, which, remember, is the town,
02:28the scenic Himalayan town,
02:30which is recovering from the horrific massacre of Baisaran
02:35on the 22nd of April,
02:39in which 28 people were massacred.
02:43Pehelgaam was hoping for a booming tourist season.
02:46But after the massacre,
02:49the people of Pehelgaam are desperately trying to pick up the pieces,
02:55hoping against hope that there will be a light at the end of a dark tunnel.
03:02This is what I saw in Pehelgaam.
03:05Take a look.
03:06A British Prime Minister once famously said that a week is a long time in politics.
03:20The residents of Pehelgaam,
03:23This picturesque, scenic town nestled amidst pine trees in the Himalayas,
03:30with the river litter running by,
03:32must feel that the last week has been a bit of a lifetime.
03:37Till the afternoon of 22nd of April,
03:40the marketplace where I am was bustling with tourists.
03:44Hotels, restaurants and shops were doing roaring business.
03:48A week later, the market wears the desolate look.
03:53There's a funereal air.
03:55The tourists have left and so has the business.
03:59So how will Pehelgaam pick up the pieces
04:02after the horrific terror attack at Baisaran,
04:055 kilometers from here?
04:08That's what I want to find out.
04:10Come with me on this Pehelgaam ground report.
04:27What happened to the business?
04:29What happened to the business?
04:30What happened to the business?
04:31What happened to the business?
04:32What happened to the business?
04:33What happened to the business?
04:34What happened to the business?
04:35What happened to the business?
04:36What happened to the business?
04:37What happened to the business?
04:38What happened to the business?
04:39What happened to the business?
04:40What happened to the business?
04:41What happened to the business?
04:42What happened to the business?
04:43What happened to the business?
04:44What happened to the business?
04:45What happened to the business?
04:46What happened to the business?
04:47What happened to the business?
04:48What happened to the business?
04:49What happened to the business?
04:50What happened to the business?
04:51What happened to the business?
04:52What happened to the business?
04:53What happened to the business?
04:54What happened to the business?
04:55What happened to the business?
04:56What happened to the business?
05:27ڈسیکاریٹی جی اس کے لیے ان کو چاہیے کہ ایسا کچھ قدم اٹھائے کہ
05:34ڈوبارہ ایسا حج سا نہ ہو کیونکہ یہ انسانیت کا قتل ہوتا ہے اسے
05:38کشمیر بھی بدنام ہو جاتا ہے یہاں کی حالات بھی پوری طاری سے دیکھو
05:42یہاں کی انکام یہ ایکوان بھی پوری طاری سے ڈسٹری ہو جاتی ہے اس کا
05:46ھاپر ہم پہ پڑتا ہے کتنا بزنس کرتے تھے ایک ہفتے پہلے تھا ایک
05:53We were a few billion to sell.
05:55One billion to sell to a day?
05:58Yes, it was not.
06:00But, now, we don't have to sell to a thousand thousand.
06:04How long ago?
06:06We had 50-60 years of this.
06:0850-60 years of this. What do you do?
06:09Here are cranberry, blackberry, blueberry.
06:12Cranberry, blackberry, blueberry.
06:14This is the name of the first time.
06:18We do not have tourists.
06:19We do not have tourists.
06:21We also want to go.
06:51foreign
07:21foreign
07:51What do you blame Pakistan, Pakistan, terrorists?
08:11Listen to me, don't tell us Pakistan, this, this, this, this.
08:15So whoever is responsible?
08:22Whoever is responsible, you give it to the courts, agencies, everything you have.
08:28Use them.
08:30We were playing with us, and we were enjoying it.
08:34We were enjoying it, and we were also enjoying it.
08:36Why not directly blame Pakistan?
08:38Pakistan has, for the last 35 years, carried out terror attacks in Kashmir.
08:42Look, no one knows about it.
08:45We are a man.
08:46We are condemned first.
08:48We will naturally condemn anyone.
08:50Everyone condemning this nonsense attack.
08:53This is a big country.
08:55They are a big think taker.
08:57They know everything.
09:00How long did you, Dhanapani, you started?
09:0218 years.
09:0318 years?
09:04And mainly for vegetarians?
09:05This is purely vegetarian restaurant.
09:07Every Gujarati, every Marathi came here and enjoying the meal.
09:10Especially Kadi Khichadi, and all this.
09:13But unfortunately, you can see our streets.
09:15It's empty.
09:16Every time we think peace is returning, tourists are coming, suddenly this happens.
09:21Listen to me.
09:22State government is there.
09:23Center government is there.
09:24Pusha on them.
09:26It is their responsibility.
09:28Why not?
09:29They are.
09:30They are the main there.
09:31What is our vote?
09:32They have given us.
09:33That is it.
09:35Don't leave Kashmiri.
09:36Kashmiri has already been burned.
09:38Kashmiri is bleeding.
09:40Okay?
09:41And Kashmiri is bleeding right now.
09:43Don't do it.
09:44Don't do it.
09:45So you are saying don't target every Kashmiri for what happened in Baisaran?
09:48Why?
09:49Why?
09:50Why?
09:51Because people believe locals were also supporting some of these militants.
09:52It's nonsense.
09:53If we are part of India, then why are they blaming us?
09:58Where is it?
09:59It's written in Gita.
10:00It's written in the Gita.
10:01It's written in the Quran.
10:02It's written in the Quran.
10:03It's a death of humanity.
10:04It's a death of mankind.
10:05It's a death of mankind.
10:06It's a death of mankind.
10:07It's a death of Hindu or Muslim.
10:09It's a death of Muslims.
10:10It's a death of Muslims.
10:11No.
10:12Never ever.
10:13It's written anywhere.
10:14I have a manager.
10:15Another manager.
10:16Namely, Somraj.
10:17Okay?
10:18Your manager is Somraj.
10:19He's working under me.
10:20Okay?
10:21In a restaurant,
10:23we have医 them into the Walmart.
10:25We are visiting India from seven years.
10:29We have built in this fram Ideally the dawn of god of god of god.
10:30I am Muslim here.
10:31but there is a vision behind the moon from God's corridors.
10:33It lives by night.
10:35We believe that unity must.
10:37Theviamente has před the foot of god.
10:40This image was shown from the Football Future.
10:42Very interesting.
10:42So, you have got Sriram here.
10:44You have got Darbara Sahib there.
10:46listen so you have got shri ram here you have got darbara sahib there actually the main profit
10:51is sardar jis okay but i am running this restaurant from last 18 years so restaurant
10:55is run by sir is owned by a sardar you are the main manager who's a manager javed okay
11:01and your assistant is somraj half our staff half are muslims half are hindus here okay
11:07wow from last 18 years i'm managing this
11:10this is called kashmir din kashmiri
11:16amari amari amari amari amari joe bhaar picture defamed ki jaiti
11:21ina sir karko kaiye sit action no but the terrorists have defamed you know they have
11:26singled out people based on their religion don't blame us mr rajiv sir don't blame us
11:30tell the government there tell your government pyaar karo humse or humse pyaar lelo
11:40this has happened for the first time in 35 years that tourists have been targeted it never
11:48happened in 90s it never happened at the peak of the militancy in 91 92 this is the first time when
11:55innocent tourists were targeted i mean who is at loss it's the kashmiris who are at loss so is there
12:03anger among kashmiris now against against terrorism i mean each and every district in kashmir has come
12:09out in protest each and every sector of the society has come out and they have protested against what
12:16has happened it's totally against kashmir it's against the you know the values of kashmiris
12:24so each and every kashmiris again is this and i'm told you are going to start your
12:28hot inaugurate your new hotel here on the first of may that's today today was supposed to be the
12:33inauguration for my hotel and many people like me i mean there are like four thousand hotels coming up
12:38in palga four thousand hotels coming up in pal which are about to start their operations maybe
12:44some of them were supposed to start in may like me some of them are supposed to start four months from
12:49now this year we were expecting a event room inventory of around 8 000 rooms opening new 8 000 rooms
12:56opening in pal and you are you have come back from the u.s to start this hotel in palga by profession
13:02i was an investment banker in u.s in new york city and i moved back to india with this intention that
13:08things are very normal here and we should be i mean i thought this was the best time to start
13:13my own venture here in india and have you given up have you given up have you given up on your hotel
13:20dream absolutely not kashmir has seen the worst times in 90s absolutely not we will come out we'll
13:27come up we'll come back we'll come out of this difficult situation with the support of 140 crore people
13:33and we all have to be united together you know there are people like me who came from outside india to
13:40start their own venture there are people who have taken loans there are taxi varas pony varas a tempo
13:46owners small houseboot owners who have taken huge loans from the banks from the market to start their
13:53ventures and they are all positive and we are all positive that things will not be like this maybe 20 days
14:0225 days things will be normal and things will come normal life and people will start coming back to
14:07kashmir once again this is not the end of kashmir kashmir has seen worst times in the past there's a lot
14:13of negativity also going on in the media and it's due it is supposed to happen yes people have died
14:18innocence have died yes all i'm requesting it should not be in the name of kashmir period it should not
14:24be in the name of kashmir thank you my friend thanks a lot sir thank you thank you
14:40special tea you're going to give me come on i cannot say no what tea will you give me
14:44you have kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir kashmir
15:14Come from Kerala? Malapuram. Why you have come to Kashmir? Beautiful place. Yeah, you find it beautiful. But didn't the attack in Baisaran frighten you after that? No. No? You are not feeling frightened? No. What is the best thing about Kashmir? What have you liked the most?
15:37Srinagar. Srinagar? You went on the lake? Yes. Dal lake? Dal lake room. Dal lake room? Houseboat? Yes. Dal lake. Whole family? All from Malapuram? Very nice. Very good. Family from Malapuram. Good to see you. Say lovey. So be it. Are you lovely?
16:07me.
16:12Baisar के पहले बुख रस्दा आई डा. रस्दा बुख रस्दा. बुख. कितना कमा लेते तें तिन के?
16:17दोहजार, तिन हजार चार हजार. जैसे टूरिस्टा आते थे, अच्छा कमाते थे? और आप बिल्कुल ॉर्सर नहें हい। बिलुकुल कुछ़ भी नहीं है.
16:25I am just sitting in the kitchen and sitting in the kitchen.
16:28Will you give a discount?
16:3050 percent.
16:31How much?
16:32How much?
16:33How much?
16:34My heart wants to be tourists.
16:36Your heart wants to be tourists?
16:38I think it's the same way in Kashmir.
16:41But after that, why do you come here in Kashmir?
16:44People are afraid.
16:46Inshallah, we will be afraid.
16:48We will be afraid.
16:50We will burn in Kashmir.
16:52If you don't want to be tourists,
16:53we will be afraid.
16:55But after that,
16:57we will be afraid of them.
17:00But the tourists are not there.
17:02The tourists are only tourists,
17:03they are only on the ship.
17:06Our own land.
17:08We are trying to save them.
17:10If tourists don't get them,
17:12then the tourists are not there.
17:14The tourists are not going to be tourists.
17:17The tourists will not be the Hindu and Muslim.
17:18The tourists will not be the same.
17:20foreign
17:50I'm at the very spot in Pahalgam where tourists would gather to take the pony ride up to Baisaran
18:19five kilometers away. Before the 22nd of April this place would be crawling with tourists and pony
18:27walas. Now there is literally no one. A sign of just how Pahalgam has changed in the matter of a few days.
18:49What do you think?
18:51Yes, sir.
18:52Yes, sir.
18:54Yes, sir.
18:56Yes, sir.
18:58Pahalgam, sir.
18:59Yes, sir.
19:00Sir, I think it is it. So I think that I think that it was a good thing.
19:03The people who said, that we were not going...
19:07It is going to work on the side of it.
19:09We are all going to work on it?
19:11Yes, sir, we are exactly going to work on it.
19:12So, the rest of the people who aren't going to work on it?
19:15Sir, the people who don't know who they are, they are going to work on it.
19:19If we don't like the host, we are going to work on it.
19:23We should work on it.
19:25So, you have any friends that none of you have won?
19:29My colleagues, who have saved them, they have a shame in it, but we won't let them be able to do it.
19:38Maybe we have to do something else.
19:43The first time, I was surprised that my friend called me,
19:50I told him, where is the tourist?
19:53I am not sure that I can get caught on my side.
20:00I can't believe that I can get caught on my side.
20:03This is a peaceful area.
20:05What happened was very wrong.
20:08You don't believe that we have three days in my house,
20:12I have not been talking about my own house.
20:14I have said a fact.
20:16I was going to ask people to kill people.
20:19My mother had a mistake.
20:22sir, I want to tell you about it.
20:26The Kashmir's people have changed.
20:29Kashmir's fear was the one who had fear.
20:34That was the last year in 2019.
20:37The Kashmir's fear was the one who had to go.
20:40Whatever, the one who had to go.
20:42We are afraid of the people who had to go.
20:44We are afraid of the people who had to go.
20:49It will not do the police, the army, the CRPF.
20:54It will not do the people with the people.
20:58It will not do the people with the people.
21:00It will not do the people with the people.
21:02If there is no local support.
21:03This time it will not do the people with the people.
21:06Wherever.
21:12Sir, can you go?
21:15India Today is from today.
21:17No.
21:19No, no.
21:21No.
21:22No, no.
21:23No, no.
21:25No, sir.
21:26No.
21:27No, no, sir.
21:29No, no, sir.
21:30Does this matter?
21:32That is Sir, it is too late.
21:34No, sir, there is no one.
21:36All entities.
21:37No, sir.
21:38No, sir, I cannot leave.
21:39No, sir, there is no one.
21:41No.
21:43Okay, we've come to the police headquarters here in Pahlgaam where we've been told that
21:59all the top police officials today are in Baisaran where a number of officials from Delhi have also
22:05come as part of the investigation into what happened that day, whether there was security
22:13lapses and much more. Many of those questions will obviously be answered in the future.
22:21For now though, as I said at the very outset, Pahlgaam is a town still coming to terms with
22:28what happened on the 22nd of April. It is a terror attack that has perhaps changed Pahlgaam
22:37forever. What the future holds, no one quite knows. Umeed pe dunia kaim hai is a word that
22:48we hear on the streets of Pahlgaam. Hope lives eternal. Rajdeep Sardesai in Pahlgaam for India
22:57today. Hope lives eternal in a sense in Pahlgaam. Now it's been more than a week since the Baisaran
23:05attack near Pahlgaam that took place. The survivors and the family members of the victims are still
23:13coming to terms with what happened that day. Today was Lieutenant Vinay Narwal's birthday. He was among
23:21the first to be shot by the terrorists. His family held a blood donation camp to mark the occasion and
23:28Narwal's wife Himanshi urged citizens not to target common Muslims and Kashmiris for what happened to her
23:36husband in Baisaran. Listen to her.
23:41People going against Muslims or Kashmiris, we don't want this. We want peace and only peace. Of course,
23:48we want justice. Of course, the people that have done wrong with him should be punished.
23:59And earlier, I spoke to Aishanya Duyadi. She lost her husband Shubham in the horrific terror attack.
24:06They had been married for just two months. And I began by asking Aishanya, it's a week Aishanya since
24:13you lost, first of all, our prayers and thoughts with you and your family members in this moment of
24:20trauma. It's been a week since you lost your husband in this tragic terror attack. Have you been able to
24:27really process what happened that day on 22nd April? One week later, what happened? How do you see it?
24:35Is it still a kind of a shock to the system? A nightmare that you simply cannot get over?
24:46It's a nightmare for the nation. It's a nightmare for the family. It's a nightmare for me. It is a nightmare.
24:53It's a nightmare. It is a nightmare that I live by the other day. When I sleep and I'll
25:11sleep together, this nightmare will end up. But every morning, I'm noticing reality check.
25:12You know, we're going to have to breathe and breathe. I sleep again in the morning.
25:14And again, I sleep.
25:15And I remember watching my husband's wedding videos.
25:21I remember the wedding two months.
25:23I remember that I'm just a lot of videos.
25:26So, I remember right now.
25:28I remember that everything was OK.
25:30It was the reason why I was telling you.
25:32I was watching it and I got to sleep.
25:35So, I was going to sleep.
25:38So, you get back to square one.
25:42And he's no more.
25:43He's not there with me.
25:44He's not holding my hand.
25:49I can imagine, Ayesha Nia, how tough this is for you,
25:53even to come on this show and speak about it just a week later.
25:57I just want to understand, where is this strength coming from?
26:01Where is the strength coming from that you're coming out
26:03and speaking out on what happened that day?
26:06Yeah, and somewhere, the strength that I'm talking about today
26:19is that strength is giving me my strength.
26:22No, for 2-3 days, I didn't feel like I could speak or say anything.
26:31Because in my eyes, it's the same thing.
26:35It's the same thing.
26:37I'm looking at my eyes continuously, in the loop,
26:39that he's shot and he's on my lap.
26:42He's shot and he's on my lap. It's on the loop.
26:47So, this strength, which I have in my mind,
26:49that I can speak with you or can speak with you,
26:53that he's giving me,
26:56that he's telling me,
26:58that he's telling me,
27:00that you won't say, you'll never say.
27:02I'm just saying this point.
27:06We won't say, this will happen tomorrow.
27:09We won't say, this will happen tomorrow.
27:11We won't say, this will happen in 4-4 years,
27:13in 2-2 months, in 3-3 months.
27:15Do you want to take us through then,
27:17what happened that day, Aishanya?
27:19Give us a sense of what you saw,
27:21what you heard,
27:23what was going through your mind,
27:25when those terrorists entered that Baisaran Meadow.
27:28So, that day, we went to the Baisaran Meadow.
27:32So, that day, we went to the Baisaran Meadow.
27:37On the day, we went to the Baisaran Meadow.
27:42We went to the Baisaran Meadow.
27:44On the way, I said,
27:46it's my first Baisaran Meadow.
27:48It's my first Baisaran.
27:49We were so happy.
27:50We reached the Baisaran Meadow.
27:52We reached the Baisaran Meadow.
27:57I ordered Meggie to go to the opposite gate,
28:01and it was 20 meters away.
28:03It was not too far away,
28:05but it was not too far away.
28:06So, we went to the Baisaran Meadow.
28:08We went to the Baisaran Meadow.
28:10His first price saved us in the Baisaran Meadow.
28:13So, when we got down to the Baisaran Meadow,
28:15all the time that we did go to the Baisaran Meadow,
28:16so we had to eat it,
28:17and we went to go drink it.
28:18And, after cutting the caller's meal,
28:22we thought about a little bit that the baby
28:24was around 225, something.
28:27She showed me the watch.
28:29Time showed me properly.
28:30So, I thought it would go down to 235,
28:33and go down.
28:34Until the Nagy and the coffee, what we ordered, came out of the coffee.
28:38We had a little bit of coffee and said to you,
28:42I was like, look, look, I'm drinking coffee.
28:45And then we smiled and said,
28:47the next moment, out of nowhere,
28:50we approached someone.
28:53We were standing standing, standing.
28:57We approached him and said,
28:58I'm a Hindu, I'm a Muslim.
29:01So if anyone from nowhere will come and ask you,
29:04Hindu or Muslim,
29:05you won't be able to know if it's a atom.
29:10Who is it?
29:11Can we kill you?
29:13You don't know.
29:15We asked him, what is the idea?
29:17He said, I'm a Hindu, I'm a Muslim.
29:20I'm a Muslim in the word.
29:22He said loudly.
29:24And in a moment, we can understand
29:26what we should do with the reply.
29:28We said, we are Hindu, because he is eventually in our life,
29:32that we are Hindu.
29:33So we both said, we are Hindu.
29:36And even the sentence, he could not finish this sentence.
29:41He was shot.
29:43It was very brutal.
29:45Because he had thought about it,
29:47the first shot was shot.
29:48I saw the video, Aishanya, of the person who's on the zip line,
29:55who's enjoying that zip line ride.
29:57And when you look at that video, Aishanya,
29:59you can see that the terrorists have entered and caught everyone unaware.
30:04So everyone is completely in panic mode, including the locals, it appears.
30:09You want to give us a sense of what was going on with the locals,
30:13the horsemen, the pony riders, those who'd taken you on a pony ride?
30:18How many of them were in any position to come and protect anyone at all?
30:23Were there enough efforts made?
30:26Were there anybody out there who could have actually challenged
30:30and taken on these terrorists in those, in those terrible moments?
30:38It happened so suddenly that people could not even understand what happened.
30:44When people come to understand what happened,
30:47and they can ask for help and run for help,
30:50they tried it, even I tried it for people to ask for help.
30:54But there was no help.
30:56There was no help up on the mountain.
30:58There was no help with the valley.
31:01And you went to the valley, and you didn't have no way out.
31:05You could follow any path of the road,
31:07there was no way out of the valley.
31:08You could follow any path of the road.
31:09There was no way out of the road.
31:11Nothing so far.
31:12But the person was just standing on the way,
31:14they were still standing on the way.
31:16So when we came on the way, there was no help.
31:18Because Shubham was shot first.
31:20As a victim family, as a victim,
31:22we were the first of all,
31:24because they were the same for the victims.
31:26We had no help on the road or on the upper valley.
31:39We got three JNK police officers on their shoulders.
31:45They were wearing a uniform on their shoulders.
31:51Me and my sister begged them.
31:54Literally, we were talking to them.
31:56I told them that my husband is on top.
31:58People are shaking.
32:01He was dead.
32:03I will tell you that he is on top.
32:05There were a lot of people still there trying to save.
32:09He was waiting that there was no help.
32:12What did they answer me?
32:14We can't do anything.
32:15Straight up they said that.
32:17We can't do anything.
32:19They asked me, where is your blood in the body?
32:23I told you, where is your blood?
32:25Go, do you do it.
32:26Try it.
32:27Try it.
32:28We are going to get off from the ground.
32:30Try it.
32:35Today, it has been more than a week.
32:38Do you want revenge?
32:40Is your predominant emotion, Aishania, that of revenge?
32:44That these terrorists have to be killed at all costs, including their patrons?
32:50Is that what would give you some kind of a closure, however difficult that be, unless the killings are avenged, Aishania?
33:00The change is the change of violence.
33:02The change is the change.
33:03They have understood that everyone is here and here.
33:07They are not killed.
33:09But we are keeping the terrorists here.
33:12We ask their questions.
33:16They don't tell anything.
33:18Why are we wasting our time, asking them to kill them, just shot them dead right there when you see terrorists, shoot, finish them off.
33:31They don't even have to take a breath, they don't have to stop them. Maybe they can say something, maybe they can say something, maybe they can say something, maybe they can say something to me.
33:56You know, I can completely understand your emotions. I just want to understand your favourite memory in a way of Shubham. What kind of a person was he? Would you want to share something with us today of how you would like to remember your husband?
34:20He was a beautiful person. I've never seen such happy face, such smiling face.
34:33He was that kind of a person. He loved me. He loved me. He loves me.
34:53Those are the voices of those still traumatized by what happened on the 22nd of April, our thoughts with Aishanya and prayers with each and every member of the victim's families.
35:13Now, while there is grief all over among the families, there is anger in the valley.
35:20And that anger has led, interestingly, to a kind of political solidarity that we haven't seen.
35:26Parties that have been fierce opponents have now come together.
35:30The People's Democratic Party, taking on the National Conference in Srinagar and the Modi government in Delhi, has now rallied behind both and, in fact, called the Jammu Band last week.
35:44Jammu and the Srinagar Band against what happened in Baisaran.
35:49I am joined by the PDP leader, Ilthija Mufti, part of the Gen Next of our party.
35:55Appreciate your joining us, Ilthija.
35:56As you said, not a great time to be talking to each other, given what's happened.
36:01But is there a sense that this terrible incident, terrible attack in Baisaran will be a wake-up call for all Kashmiri politicians and Kashmiris to set apart all your differences with the center, amongst yourselves, and come together in solidarity, given what's happened?
36:25You know, I don't think if wake-up call is the right way to put it.
36:31I think for us, we've seen so much violence in the past 30-35 years.
36:35We've all suffered.
36:36So when something like this happened, you saw there was a spontaneous coming out.
36:40People observed a shutdown.
36:42Mahbubhaji first called, you know, there was a shutdown in Jammu.
36:45And then Mahbubhaji called for a similar shutdown in Kashmir.
36:47And honestly, Rajdeep, the solidarity that you see, the shock that you see, you know, the people of Jammu and Kashmir mourning with the rest of the country, you know, in this hour of grief, is a very spontaneous reaction that's come about.
37:00Frankly, we didn't need such, you know, a horrific incident to happen for us to come together.
37:05And like I said, for the first time, I think, in a long time, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are mourning with the rest of the country.
37:12You know, it's an incident that's rattled all of us.
37:15And it's absolutely horrific, you know, the way these innocent tourists were gunned down.
37:21And that also in a popular, you know, tourist destination that is relatively safer like Pehelgaam.
37:27So it's come as a moment of shock.
37:29And you saw the people of Kashmir express their solidarity and come out in such, you know, massive numbers.
37:35And they observed a shutdown.
37:36This is something that they did on their own.
37:39And you didn't just have political parties, mind you.
37:41It wasn't just about the PDPNC.
37:43You also had Mirvai Saab, you know, using his pulpit to condemn this attack, you know, to call for people to observe a shutdown.
37:50So you had people cutting across political, religious, socio, you know, economic lines coming together to condemn this barbaric incident.
37:58You know, it's interesting because all these years of coming to Kashmir, the word I've always heard here is alienation.
38:05People are alienated from Delhi.
38:07This time, the word is an A word, but anger.
38:11People are angry, not with Delhi this time, but angry with those who are running these terror factories, including in Pakistan.
38:18Is there a clarity on that?
38:21I don't hear the P word as often, but I certainly hear the T word, terror.
38:26Is there a clarity now that enough is enough?
38:29And that for much too long, Kashmiris have, in a sense, allowed or been victims in their own way of these terror factories emanating out of Pakistan?
38:42I think, honestly, every time an incident like this happens, it's so normal for the media or even people in, you know, India, in the rest of the country to kind of like conflate Kashmiris with militants
38:53or to see us as terrorist sympathizers or people who condone terrorism.
38:57We don't.
38:58And I feel so bad that every time I come on a show after an incident like this, I have to prove that I'm not even Indian.
39:05I have to prove that I'm human.
39:07I have to give the proof of being human.
39:10Am I not human, Rajdeep?
39:11Are you not human?
39:12Are we not humane enough?
39:14When something like this happens and you see the way they were gunned down, of course, I'm going to condemn it.
39:19Of course, it's an act of terror.
39:21Why do I even have to be asked, do you condemn this incident?
39:24Of course, we condemn this incident and whoever is responsible for this, whoever is the perpetrator, they must be taken to task.
39:31Whether they're locals or whether they're people from Pakistan, any and everyone has to be punished, unequivocal on that, without ifs and buts.
39:41The reason I'm asking you that is in the past, there's been a sense that Kashmiris have been wary of coming out on the street.
39:47How far do we go in taking on terror?
39:49And as a result, terror has grown.
39:52Kashmiris have got demonized, not just in the valley but outside, have got vilified and said you are terror sympathizers.
39:59We've seen some students in some parts also being targeted.
40:02Will that change?
40:03Is there a sense?
40:04I mean, obviously, you can't put all the burden on Kashmiris.
40:07We in the rest of the country have also to rise to the occasion.
40:10But is there a sense that Kashmiris need to respond very differently now?
40:17Rajdeep, Kashmiris showed you their response.
40:20Two days after the attack happened, we saw how Lal Chok, you know, Mehubhaji carried out a protest.
40:26And you saw people were literally thronging Lal Chok because they wanted to show their solidarity.
40:31Kashmiris have taken the first step by denouncing this terror attack, you know, by saying, not in my name.
40:38You know, as Kashmiris, we stand against terror.
40:40We stand against any form of terrorism.
40:43Now, particularly targeted, you know, targeted attacks against Hindus in this manner.
40:47Absolutely.
40:47But in 1990, you will recall when Kashmiri pundits, the exodus took place.
40:52Give me a moment to finish.
40:53Yes.
40:53Kashmiris took the first step by denouncing this attack, by condemning it.
40:58And there was absolutely no ambiguity.
41:00Now, it is for the rest of the country.
41:03It is for the government of India to take the lead.
41:05The next step is something that they have to take.
41:07You've seen in the past two days how there's been a vilification of Kashmiris, whether it's Kashmiri students.
41:13There are Kashmiri girls who were assaulted in Jamia Millia University.
41:17There was a Kashmiri shawl vendor who was heckled, who was abused by Bajrang Dal goons in Uttarakhand.
41:23So, I have to say that I'm very disappointed by the rest of the country.
41:27Because for them, it's very easy to confuse us with militants.
41:30It's very easy to paint us all with a broad stroke of terrorism.
41:34Ki aap Kashmiri hai, to aap ugharwadi, aap atangwadi hongge.
41:37But we are the ones who protested.
41:39We are the ones who protested.
41:41But somehow, the media is demonizing us.
41:43The media is vilifying us.
41:45And because of that constant simmering, you know, of tension,
41:49what is happening is that Kashmiris throughout the country are being hounded.
41:53They are being heckled.
41:54You know, their jobs are being snatched.
41:57We saw how even students are being attacked.
41:59So, frankly, I feel very disappointed.
42:01We can time travel.
42:02Absolutely, we can go back to the 1990s.
42:05I know you're going to bring up the Pandit Exodus.
42:08That's what you're coming to.
42:09No, no, I was only saying that when that happened,
42:11there was a sense that Kashmiris did not stand up and say,
42:15not in my name.
42:16Today, they are.
42:17That's not true, Rajdeep.
42:18That's not true.
42:19I don't want to cheapen lives.
42:23But for every Pandit, every minority person who was killed,
42:27you had, you know, an equal number of Kashmiri Muslims who were gunned down.
42:31You cannot say,
42:32Rajdeep, terrorism is not something that will affect people.
42:36You know,
42:37if you're a Hindu, you won't do a Muslim.
42:39Even we have lost so many lives here, Rajdeep.
42:42Let's not give it a communal angle, you know.
42:44Let's not say that.
42:45That's what Pakistan wants to do, obviously.
42:47That's what the terrorists want to do.
42:48But I want to ask you this in conclusion.
42:50Because what I've also seen is symbols of hope.
42:53I saw Maharashtrians and Gujaratis today.
42:54Maharashtra Day, Gujarat Day.
42:56Out there,
42:57in Pahalgaam,
42:58still in their resorts.
43:00Fewer, very few of them.
43:01You miss,
43:02you know,
43:02the naval officer,
43:03whose wife was unfortunately widowed.
43:05She made a very strong thing on camera today,
43:09where she urged the citizens of India
43:11not to punish,
43:12you know,
43:12not to collectively punish
43:14Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmiris.
43:17You know,
43:17I know you're saying that
43:18because I was in Bih Bihara also today,
43:20where I remember the house
43:22of one of the suspected terrorist,
43:24terrorist mastermind,
43:25Adil,
43:27was blown up
43:29by the security agency.
43:31So there's a sense of retribution
43:33going on there as well.
43:34Disproportionate retribution.
43:37Because if you look at the number of houses
43:39that were raised in Muranpulwama last week,
43:42along with one house
43:43of the suspected militant's family,
43:4515-20 houses were raised to dust.
43:47You had one,
43:48you know,
43:49patriarch of the family
43:50crying before the camera,
43:51talking about how he had saved up money
43:53for, you know,
43:54his daughter's marriage.
43:55So why are Kashmiris being collectively punished?
43:58They've been collectively punished since 2019.
44:00So what you're saying is this is,
44:02if the healing touch
44:03has to take place
44:04and we desperately need it,
44:06it has to take place from both sides.
44:08And therefore,
44:08Kashmiris will have to speak out
44:10in one voice
44:11and so does the rest of the country.
44:13And that's how we've got to find
44:14a way forward.
44:15The cycle,
44:16the cycle of mutual suspicion,
44:18Kashmiris do not,
44:20you know,
44:21they don't,
44:21there's a mistrust
44:22between Kashmir
44:23and the rest of the India
44:24and it works both ways.
44:26So this cycle,
44:27this vicious,
44:27unending cycle
44:28of mutual suspicion,
44:29it has to stop.
44:31And I would urge the people,
44:32you know,
44:33of this country
44:33that if you want somebody,
44:35you know,
44:36who exemplifies Kashmir,
44:37it is Adil Shah
44:39who laid down his life
44:40protecting tourists.
44:41You know,
44:42it is Adil Shah
44:43who,
44:43you know,
44:45who exemplifies Kashmiris,
44:46not just Kashmiris,
44:47but insaniyat as well.
44:48You know,
44:49he has served
44:49as the perfect example
44:51of Kashmiris
44:52and humanity.
44:53So don't look at us
44:54through the lens
44:55of these terrorists
44:55who came in
44:56and who were the perpetrators
44:57of this terror attack.
44:59Look at us
44:59through the lens
45:00of an Adil Shah
45:01who laid down his life.
45:03I'm going to leave it there,
45:04Edhija Mufti.
45:06It's good to have you
45:07on the show.
45:07As I said,
45:08not the right time,
45:10but perhaps
45:11at least the right words
45:12that are being used
45:13that hopefully will echo.
45:14So thank you very much
45:15for joining me.
45:17I want to also
45:18raise the question
45:19of where are the terrorists?
45:20Where are those
45:22who are responsible
45:23for what happened
45:24in Baisaran?
45:25We are told
45:25that there's a major
45:26security operation on,
45:28of course,
45:28details cannot be disclosed,
45:30in different parts
45:31of Kashmir
45:32to find the terrorists
45:34responsible
45:34for what happened
45:36in Baisaran.
45:38I'm joined at this moment
45:39by two of my colleagues
45:40who are there
45:41on the ground
45:41tracking every moment.
45:43Kamaljeet Sandhu
45:44knows a thing or two
45:45about Kashmir.
45:46She's been tracking it
45:47for two decades.
45:48And Meer Fareed
45:50hopefully will also join us.
45:52He's close to the border
45:53where, remember,
45:54there's been artillery firing
45:55that the Pakistanis
45:56have engaged in.
45:57But I want to first
45:58go to Kamaljeet Sandhu.
46:00Kamaljeet,
46:01you've been tracking
46:01this right through.
46:04Is there a sense
46:05that the security forces
46:06are confident
46:07that the terrorists
46:08responsible for Baisaran
46:10will be caught sooner
46:11rather than later?
46:12Well, you used
46:18the word retribution
46:19and that is what
46:20the nation
46:20has been awaiting.
46:21But it's been taken
46:22longer than usual
46:23because what we've been told
46:25is the terrorists
46:26chose that particular area
46:27because there were
46:28too many escape routes.
46:30The cordon and search
46:30operation which has
46:31been laid down
46:32in South Kashmir,
46:33particularly in
46:34Kulgamb, Anantanag
46:35and even in Shopeya,
46:37this is where
46:38they believe
46:38a larger cordon
46:40which goes into
46:41kilometers and kilometers.
46:43Now, remember,
46:44the security forces
46:45have to tread
46:46very carefully
46:47because if they
46:48don't do that,
46:49they may actually
46:50result in having
46:51heavy casualties
46:51which is something
46:52that they would
46:53want to avoid.
46:54So, yes,
46:55the cordon has been
46:55laid and it's not
46:56for one week.
46:58It's almost been
46:5810 days now.
47:00This is where
47:00security forces say
47:01there could be
47:02natural cave-like
47:03cavities in which
47:04they could be hiding.
47:06They seem to be
47:06self-sustaining.
47:07That means they have
47:08ample supply of food.
47:10Perhaps even water.
47:12This is where
47:12they're saying
47:13they have to move
47:14only when there's
47:15daylight.
47:16So, all those
47:17are difficulties
47:18but also it talks
47:19about how
47:20there's weak
47:20intelligence.
47:21How once this
47:22happened,
47:23a massive security
47:24lapse at that.
47:25There is also
47:26talk about how
47:27there could have
47:28been more input
47:29coming in.
47:30Now, what they've
47:31done is they've
47:31opened the phone
47:32lines, 20 lakh
47:33rupees reward
47:34being announced
47:34but meanwhile
47:35they're only hoping
47:37that they have
47:37boxed those
47:38particular terrorists
47:39inside and the
47:40group could be
47:41larger in number.
47:42It's not just
47:42four, it could be
47:43eight and this
47:44is where they say
47:45they're folding
47:46mountains, a
47:47larger cordon and
47:48then the force is
47:49moving upwards.
47:50That's really an
47:51uphill task but
47:52meanwhile it says
47:53it's going to take
47:53time.
47:54they surely will get
47:56them.
48:00You know, I
48:01obviously it isn't
48:04easy given the
48:05terrain.
48:06I also want to go to
48:07Meir Farid, he's
48:08there right at the
48:09border.
48:10Meir, what are you
48:10seeing around you at
48:11the moment?
48:12I'm told a lot of the
48:13villages have been
48:14vacated given the
48:15constant shelling
48:16going, happening
48:18across both sides
48:19areas in those
48:21areas.
48:27Yes, Rajdeep, the
48:29peace for these
48:30border residents is
48:31fragile and again
48:33they've come to know
48:34that as the firing
48:36has started so
48:37they're the first
48:38casualty because they
48:39live very close to the
48:40line of control with
48:41the Uri side and all
48:43along the long line
48:44of control in the
48:46Kashmir Valley.
48:47Bunkers have opened
48:48up again, the
48:49bunkers, community
48:50bunkers, bomb
48:51shelters that were
48:52closed since ages.
48:53They have been
48:54opened, cleaned,
48:55they have been
48:56cleaned and people
48:58are uncertain what
49:00will happen next
49:01now.
49:01Ceasefire violations
49:02happening all along
49:03the line of control.
49:05People now, some of
49:06them have moved
49:07back, some who are
49:08staying because of
49:09various reasons are
49:10uncertain.
49:10What next?
49:12How will the Indian
49:14army or the forces
49:15go ahead as far as
49:17the unity response
49:18that everyone is
49:19waiting for, the
49:20military action and
49:21which will be the
49:22sector, how widespread
49:24it will be, will
49:25their lives be
49:26impacted?
49:26So these are the
49:27questions and
49:28obviously they are
49:29the people who are
49:30directly in the line
49:30of fire.
49:31But overall, Rajdeep,
49:33we know that people
49:34are shocked, they
49:35are shaken to the
49:36core because they
49:38now are certain that
49:39the fundamentals of
49:40peace are very weak,
49:42very fragile.
49:43In Kashmir, last
49:44three, four years
49:45they were happy that
49:46things had started to
49:48remain stable, there
49:49were no more bouts of
49:50turmoil, terror was at
49:53its lowest ebbs, so
49:54people had started to
49:55believe in peace, invest
49:56in peace.
49:57But all of a sudden
49:58this incident has
49:59shattered everything,
50:00not only tourism, but
50:01it has had a ripple
50:02effect across all
50:04shades and lives as
50:05far as people are
50:06concerned.
50:06So that is also a
50:07sentiment that when
50:09will Kashmir see
50:10lasting peace and
50:11are we really seeing
50:13a situation where one
50:14incident, while it is a
50:16massive incident, but it
50:17can really devastate
50:19everything.
50:19So that is the feeling
50:20right from the LOC to
50:22the hinterland and
50:23ordinary Kashmiri right
50:25now is uncertain, it's
50:26he's hurt, but he's
50:27also really surprised and
50:29shocked at the way one
50:30incident, though massive
50:32one, but it has really
50:33devastated peace,
50:36devastated tourism and
50:37had a ripple effect
50:38across all walks of
50:39life.
50:40So that is the
50:41sentiment and right now
50:42also uncertainty.
50:43What next pose this
50:44incident?
50:45Whether a flare up on
50:46the borders, how big
50:47that conflict will be and
50:49how will it impact the
50:50people of Kashmir?
50:55Meer Farid, joining us
50:57there.
50:57Clearly there's a mood
50:58of anxiety, there's
51:00uncertainty over what
51:01lies ahead, that
51:03uncertainty grows every
51:05time there are these
51:05tit-for-tat retaliations
51:07between India and
51:08Pakistan.
51:09The latest one, India
51:10has now decided to
51:11close its airspace after
51:14Pakistan decided not to
51:15allow its airspace to be
51:17used by Indian carriers.
51:19What does this all mean?
51:20Take a look at this
51:21report.
51:26After Pakistan shut its
51:27airspace to Indian
51:29airlines, it is getting a
51:30taste of its own
51:31medicine.
51:32India has retaliated by
51:34shutting down its airspace
51:35to Pakistani airlines till
51:37May 24.
51:39Now flights to the east
51:41from Pakistan will be
51:42forced to take a long
51:43detour to reach
51:44destinations, raising
51:46operational costs and
51:47increasing travel time.
51:49the flights originating from
51:53Islamabad to Kuala Lumpur of
51:56Pakistan International
51:57Airlines, which generally
51:58takes about five hours,
51:5930 minutes, will now take
52:01eight hours, 30 minutes.
52:03In simple language, this is
52:04the implication.
52:05Any aircraft originating
52:07from Pakistan, which has
52:08go to, say, Bangladesh
52:09or Sri Lanka, will have to
52:12take a longer route over the
52:13sea.
52:13The shutting of Indian
52:15airspace comes amid escalating
52:17tensions between the two
52:19countries in the wake of the
52:20horrific Pahlgaam attack.
52:22According to sources, India
52:24has deployed jamming systems to
52:26disrupt global navigation
52:27satellite system signals of
52:29Pakistani military aircraft.
52:32Panic struck Pakistan has once
52:34again claimed the chances of
52:35conflict between the two
52:36nations are increasing.
52:38India has adopted a
53:03multi-pronged approach to
53:05avenge the Pahlgaam terror
53:06attack.
53:08The closure of airspace is the
53:10latest in a series of
53:11retaliatory measures taken by
53:13India.
53:14Bureau Report, India Today.
53:19That's it that we have on the
53:21show today.
53:22Thanks very much for watching.
53:23There was a bit of rain today
53:25in Kashmir and maybe the
53:26weather gods will hope to
53:29open up their hearts to the
53:31people of the valley and
53:33indeed to the rest of the
53:34country, which is still
53:36grieving and angry, grief and
53:39anger.
53:40That's the two dominant
53:42emotions that we are seeing
53:44in Kashmir and the rest of the
53:46country.
53:47Thanks for watching.
53:49Stay well.
53:50Stay safe.
53:51Good night.
53:52Shubhraatri.
53:53Jai Hind.
53:54Namaskar.