Public response to the Pahalgam attack anniversary on Wednesday remained muted as grief seemed to have shifted to a more restrained mood, with the BJP’s seniormost Kashmir leader, Sofi Yousuf, blaming “Jaichands (traitors)” within the administration and officers allegedly linked to Hizbul Mujahideen for derailing a major anti-militancy protest in Pahalgam.
Pro-India and separatist politicians on Wednesday expressed solidarity with the families of the victims of last year’s April 22 attack but there were few signs of street demonstrations, unlike last year, and a few that occurred were largely led by local BJP leaders.
Kashmir had observed a maiden shutdown last year against the militant attack, with residents taking to the streets in large numbers to protest against the attack that left 25 non-local tourists and a local guide dead.
A businessman, who had participated in the protests last year, said the Valley went through a difficult phase after the attack that impacted tourism and the wider economy, while stringent security measures affected a significant number of people.
“We feel sorry for what happened in Pahalgam but we have been overwhelmed by tribulations. Our economy is under extreme strain, more so the tourism industry. But it does not end here. There were so many attacks on Kashmiris outside. Within the Valley too, dozens of homes were blown up as reprisal against the attack, although no local militant was involved in the attack,” he said.
“Dozens of people died on the border (during Operation Sindoor). There is not a day without raids or arrests here.”
The BJP on Wednesday staged a few protests in Jammu and Kashmir, with Sofi, its vice-president in the Union Territory, leading a protest in Anantnag town, where he blamed some officers in the administration for disallowing a major protest in Pahalgam.
Some locals in Pahalgam said they had planned a protest in the town but it was not allowed. Officials have not reacted to the claims.
Sofi told The Telegraph that a large protest was planned in Pahalgam but claimed it was not allowed by the administration. “There are still some Jaichands in the administration here. They work at the behest of Hizbul Mujahideen. I requested Amit Shahji and LG Manoj Sinha in my speech (today) and even Prime Minister Modi that you should keep an eye on these officers. There are still one to two per cent (such) people who are on top positions in administration.
“It was not Sofi Yousuf’s programme or of the BJP. It was a programme for the country and countrymen, for martyrs. It was not allowed because there are still some Jaichands here. It is the government’s job to identify them,” he said.
Sofi is a resident of Anantnag’s Dachnipora, which is close to Pahalgam. The area was once a major militancy hub but has flourished as a key tourism zone in recent years, as the shorter route to Pahalgam passes through its villages. The road has largely remained closed for non-local tourists during the year for security reasons, affecting the livelihood of hundreds of families.
“Some 10,000 survive on tourism in the area spreading from Bijbehara to Langanbal in Pahalgam. A lot of hotels and apple valley’s (juice vends in orchards) have come up on this road. They have been badly hit. My own hotel is empty,” Sofi said, urging the government to reopen it. “The tourism was thriving here…The road’s closure can have adverse consequences.”
Chief minister Omar Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir remains in “eternal solidarity with the families who lost their loved ones a year ago in that cowardly attack”.
“One year on, we remain united against terror & against violence. We remain resolute in our desire to rid J&K of suffering & innocent deaths. We remain committed to doing everything to ensure it never happens again,” he said on X. “We are committed that similar attacks do not happen again.”