New Delhi:
Till Tuesday morning, Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam was Kashmir’s ‘mini Switzerland’, a tourist hotspot known for jaw-dropping views of the Himalayas and the Valley’s signature pine forests. Later that noon, Baisaran would become a killing ground, four terrorists going from one tourist to another, and shooting them in cold blood. The body count at the end of the killing spree stood at 26 — 25 tourists and a local pony ride operator who died shielding a tourist.
In the aftermath of the attack, many have wondered why help reached late, why the terrorists were long gone by the time security forces reached, and why many of those still breathing after being shot could not be saved.
The answers to many of these questions lie in the tricky terrain one must cross to reach this ‘Mini Switzerland’. Tourists would flock to Baisaran to enjoy the pristine scenery still largely untouched by pollution. On Tuesday, this attraction turned out to be their curse.
The Rough Road To Baisaran
The Baisaran meadow is located about 6 km from Pahalgam town and the road passes through forest, stream and is mostly not motorable. Tourists must either trek or hire a pony to reach the meadow. The dirt track turns muddy after rain, making the journey more difficult. The walk from Pahalgam to Baisaran easily takes over an hour. A pony ride takes about the same time, though it is less exhausting.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
Baisaran – The Mini Switzerland Of Kashmir
At the end of the arduous journey, tourists reaching Baisaran are greeted with peerless views of snow-capped mountains and pine forests. The meadow is about 800 metres long and 200 metres wide and is surrounded by dense pine forests. At the entry is a ticket counter and a gate. Inside are food stalls, a children’s play corner, and a zipline for the more adventurous. Overall, a family package.
What Happened Yesterday
Kashmir is in the middle of peak tourism season and Pahalgam, a popular destination, was seeing huge footfall. Nearly 2,000 people were in Baisaran on Tuesday when attack took place. According to the investigation by the security agencies so far, the killers — at least five — came from the pine forests. The first shot was fired around 1.50 pm and for the next 10 minutes, heavy firing took place. Multiple survivors have said the terrorists approached the victims, asked their religion, in some cases took an Islamic verse test, and then shot them dead. Many of the shootings were headshots. A little after 2, the killers disappeared into the forest they came from.
The First Responders
Among the first responders was Abdul Waheed, president of the local association of pony ride operators. In fact, Mr Waheed’s voice can be heard in one of the viral videos from Baisaran after the attack. Speaking to NDTV, Mr Waheed said he received a call around 2.35 pm, informing him about what happened. “I took a shortcut and reached around 3.10 pm. My brother was with me. What we saw looked like ‘qayamat’. There were bodies, the injured were in a bad condition. I gave them water and posted a message on WhatsApp, calling all ponywallahs to rush to help. I have never seen anything like this. Humanity has been murdered.”
When Did Security Forces Reach
According to the reports so far, police and paramilitary forces were alerted about the attack only after 2.30 pm. They set out immediately, but the terrain made the journey difficult. The forces reached the meadow after nearly an hour and some reports said security personnel had to run more than half of the 6 km distance. By the time the forces reached the spot, the terrorists were long gone and many of those injured had lost a lot of blood. Evacuating them was a challenge and a helicopter was pressed into action. Many of those injured were dead by the time they reached the hospital or succumbed later to their injuries.
