Tragic Terror Attack in Pahalgam Claims Lives of Tourists, Prompting Government Response

The remains of Shailesh Kalthia, one of the victims from the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, were brought back to his hometown of Surat late Wednesday night aboard a special Air India flight. Distinguished officials including Union Water Resources Minister CR Patel, alongside other state ministers and local MLAs, gathered to pay their respects to Kalthia, a resident of the Varachha area in Surat who was among the 26 tourists who tragically lost their lives in the violence.

In an emotional outburst, Kalthia’s nephew, Ankur Sutariya, shared a heartfelt plea for justice, urging the government to impose the harshest penalties on those responsible for the attack, emphasizing that no other families should endure such sorrow. He also revealed the irony that the day marked Kalthia’s birthday, a poignant detail amid the tragedy.

Additionally, the bodies of Yatish Parmar and his son Smit Parmar, who also died in the attack, have been sent back to Bhavnagar, where Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi paid tribute at the airport. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced compensation for the victims’ families—Rs 5 lakhs for those who lost loved ones and Rs 50,000 for the injured, expressing the state’s solidarity with the bereaved families.

The attack, which occurred at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, has been described as one of the most severe incidents since the 2019 Pulwama attack, claiming 25 Indians and one Nepali national. In response to this tragedy, the Indian government is taking decisive steps against Pakistan, including suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and enforcing stricter immigration controls. The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, convened to discuss the incident and condemned the act while extending condolences to those affected, highlighting the broader implications of cross-border terrorism. The families of the victims remain in mourning, demanding swift justice for this heinous crime.