‘They came to pray, bodies went home’

HOPES AND FEARS Pilgrims at the shrine and residents from the state still in shock after Monday’s attack but stay firm on their faith

A resident of Uttar Pradesh, Dharam Pal is as much at home in mountainous Baltal as in the fertile plains of his hometown of Saharanpur.

On Tuesday, Pal struggled to control his tears and come to terms with the killing of seven Amarnath pilgrims at Batengoo, 150km from Baltal, the night before.

“What harm did those yatris do to the militants? They had come to Kashmir to pray but now their bodies have gone back home,” said Pal, who has been running a free kitchen, or a langar, at the Baltal base camp during the Amarnath Yatra for 18 years.

Baltal in Jammu and Kashmir is the shorter but high-altitude route to the revered Hindu shrine 14km away. The camp is also the last point to which vehicles can go. The remaining journey is either done on foot or ponies.

The bus that was attacked by terrorists also came from Baltal, packed with devotees who paid obeisance at the Himalayan shrine. Manning the desk of the Sri Mahadev Seva Samiti, which he said fed around 2,000 pilgrims a day, Pal broke down as he talked about the strike that stunned the state and rest of the country.

“If such incidents continue, will anyone ever come to Kashmir? What enmity do the militants have with pilgrims?” he asked.

The assault comes at time when Kashmir is battling street protests and increased militant violence, which are keeping tourists away.

Also seen as a symbol of Kashmir’s syncretic culture, the pilgrimage has largely remained untouched by the decades of unrest in the Valley. Monday’s attack is the fourth such assault.

Pal was not alone. Disbelief, grief and sadness were hard to miss at Baltal. People did put up a brave face but fear was not too far behind. “We have full faith in God that no harm will come to us but what has happened had created fear in our minds,” said Ramesh