First train brings tourists back to Kolkata from terror zone
Times of India | 24 April 2025
12 Kolkata: A wave of mixed emotions swept through Kolkata railway station on Wednesday evening as passengers of the Jammu Tawi Express disembarked, returning home from Kashmir hours after a terror attack rocked Pahalgam on Tuesday. Though these tourists had left the Valley before the attack, the tragedy struck painfully close to home for many. Most of them had visited the same places, walked in the same meadow, and soaked in the same beauty a few days before the massacre.
The return to their hometown was bittersweet, laced with shock and grief for those who were not as fortunate, and quiet relief at their own safety. "The excitement of returning home to Kolkata is completely missing. I cannot stop thinking about those unfortunate people who went to Pahalgam to create beautiful memories with their loved ones but have either lost their lives or their loved ones," said Aditi Biswas, who was on a trip with her husband.
Many families were shocked when they read about the terror attack while on the train. Santa Das, a resident of Tollygunge, was at the very location of the attack just five days ago. "I just couldn't believe that the same serene location we walked through with such joy was now a site of such horror and bloodshed. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. We were lucky to leave unharmed, but it could have been anyone of us."
"We, a family of six, were on a long trip and visited Sonmarg, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam — we were in Pahalgam on the 18th," said Bidisha, after getting off the train, the shock visible on her face.
The attack rattled many tourists, particularly those who travelled with elderly parents or young children. Shukumar Hajra, a 62-year-old from Kolkata, said: "We were five family members on the trip. Overall, the security across Kashmir felt good — places like Srinagar and Gulmarg had a strong presence. But on that specific stretch of Pahalgam, there was no security. The terrorists clearly took advantage of that gap."
Ranaghat resident Prasenjit Kundu took his aged parents on vacation. "We had been planning this trip for a long time. But after this incident, I don't think we will consider visiting again in the near future. We feel very lucky to have returned safely," said Kundu.
For many, the realisation of what could have been has left a sense of fear. "It was our first trip to Kashmir, and we visited Pahalgam too. When we heard the news of the shooting, we were on the train, and we just couldn't connect it to the place we had just visited," a returning tourist said.
Banibrata Bhattacharya of Sinthi said: "What haunts me is the thought that someone went there hoping for peace and beauty, and now their family is shattered."
Rina Talukdar, a school teacher from Kalyani, visited Pahalgam with her parents and aunts over the weekend. "We were admiring the beauty of Pahalgam and sipping kahwa on Saturday. It is heartbreaking and terrifying to think that the same place is now in the news for the death of so many innocent tourists. Kashmir lived up to its name of being paradise on earth. Locals were warm and welcoming. Somehow, I am unable to comprehend such a terror attack after what we experienced there," she said after reaching Kolkata on Wednesday.
Sheikh Alam, who works in a restaurant in Srinagar, also reached Kolkata on Wednesday. "My livelihood is dependent on tourists. It was a peaceful and beautiful place to work in, but the peace has been shattered," said Alam, who is from Murshidabad's Rejinagar and has been working there for four years.