Train Brings Hope After Tragedy

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Representational Photo

The inauguration of Vande Bharat Express by prime minister Narendra Modi on June 6 has for the first time linked Srinagar directly to the rest of India by rail. But the arrival of this train is more than a logistical milestone, as it comes just weeks after the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 25 tourists and one pony operator. So, this is the new ray of hope for tourism, which is expected to revive in the days and months to come.

For over three years, tourism in Kashmir has been consistently on the rise. So much so, it became not just a symbol of the prevailing normalcy but also underpinned it. In 2024, 2.95 million tourists visited Kashmir – 43,000 of them foreigners – up from 2.71 million in 2023 and 2.67 million in 2022. This year, the government expected to beat this record but the Pahalgam attack has put paid to such hopes.

This sudden collapse in tourism, a sector that had flourished in recent years thanks to a lull in violence, has threatened to hit the livelihood of a large number of people deeply dependent on visitors drawn to Kashmir's pristine lakes and resorts. This even as the booking sites show deep price cuts, but the tourism stakeholders have little hope.

The arrivals from the northern states have by and large come to a halt but those from the southern states have continued to trickle in, brushing aside the fresh security concerns. There are also reports that the number has started picking up again. Tourism stakeholders are already reporting a slow but steady uptick in inquiries and bookings since the train's launch. Houseboat owners in Dal Lake, pony-wallahs in Gulmarg, and handicraft sellers in downtown Srinagar-many of whom saw their incomes wiped out in April-now dare to hope again. The train, quite literally, brings business back on track.

There's also a deeper psychological shift underway. For decades, Kashmiris have felt physically and metaphorically cut off from the rest of the country. And the lack of a seamless connectivity was a major reason for this. A direct train challenges that perception. It makes the idea of unity feel less abstract and more tangible, as the rail moves steadily across mountains once thought impassable. One biggest benefit of the train connectivity will be in the drastic reduction in the cost of reaching Kashmir for the country's middle class. Here's to Kashmir getting back on track – literally and figuratively.

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