The news of India carrying out strikes on the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir brought a sense of relief to the families of those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on tourists two weeks ago.
Of the 26 tourists killed in the Kashmir Valley on April 22, three victims – Sameer Guha (52), Bitan Adhikari (40), and Manish Ranjan Mishra (41) — hailed from West Bengal.
Speaking to The Indian Express on Wednesday following the Indian Army’s ‘Operation Sindoor’, the wife of Sameer Guha said: “We wanted this airstrike. We request our government not to stop now and that they should continue with these airstrikes until terrorism is completely eliminated so that what happened to us does not happen to anyone else.”
Thanking the government for the military operation against Pakistan, Sharvari Guha, who lives in Kolkata, said: “Our loss is irreplaceable. My daughter is still in trauma. This should never ever happen again. We are thankful and happy for what the government did.”
Sameer Guha, a Central government employee under the Ministry of Statistics, was visiting Kashmir with his wife and daughter when the terrorists reached a tourist spot in Pahalgam and killed him.
Bitan Adhikari was also in Kashmir with his wife, Sohini, and their three-year-old son, when the terrorists attacked the tourists and killed Bitan in front of them. He was visiting his Kolkata home from the US, where he worked in an IT firm.
“I lost my husband. I appealed for justice from the government, and they have taken action. I am thankful to the government. I pray that no woman ever loses her husband in this way or the child should ever have to see what we witnessed,” Sohini said.
Bitan’s elder brother Bibhu said, “The government should take all necessary action to wipe out terrorism completely, and we will welcome such steps. Many innocent people have lost their lives due to terrorist activity. So, steps should be taken so that nowhere in the country innocent lives are lost. Till now, I do not know if any of the terrorists who were there in Pahalgam on that day have been caught or killed. This is probably the first step.”
Meanwhile, in Jhalda in Purulia, the news of “Operation Sindoor” was a mix of relief and enduring sorrow for the family of Manish Ranjan, the IB officer killed in the terror attack. “Any country that gives shelter to terrorists should face such consequences. Fight against terrorists must continue,” said Manish’s father, Mangalesh Mishra. “I lost my son…My entire world is shattered… He was the best son. He always made us proud… I had a bypass surgery… We are trying to be strong. I welcome Operation Sindoor, but what we have lost is far more painful,” Mishra added.
“My dearest daughter-in-law is in her worst phase. She faints every now and then,” Manglesh said.