Pahalgam/Srinagar: What was meant to be a serene holiday amidst the scenic landscapes of Pahalgam turned into a nightmare on Tuesday, as a terrorist attack claimed the lives of 26 individuals from across India and Nepal. Shocked and shattered, their families gathered in grief on Wednesday as coffins arrived in Srinagar before being flown to their respective home states.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was present at the ceremony in Srinagar, where he laid wreaths on the caskets of the victims. Silent tears, anguished cries, and disbelief marked the sombre atmosphere as loved ones prepared to receive their dead.
Among those killed was 26-year-old Indian Navy officer Vinay Narwal from Haryana. His newly-wed wife, Himanshi, stood in stunned silence beside his coffin, wrapped in the national flag. The couple had tied the knot just a week prior, on April 16, and were honeymooning in Kashmir. Narwal had joined the Navy in 2022 and was posted at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.
Another victim, Corporal Tage Hailyang of the Indian Air Force, hailed from Arunachal Pradesh. He was vacationing in Pahalgam with his wife when the attack unfolded.
Thirty-one-year-old Shubham Dwivedi, a businessman from Kanpur, was also among those gunned down. He had been married just two months ago and was on a family trip with his wife and nine relatives. “They decided to go horse riding around noon. The rest of the family stayed back at the hotel,” said Shubham’s uncle Manoj Dwivedi, who lives next door. His family is now left grappling with an overwhelming sense of loss.
From Indore, 58-year-old Sushil Nathaniel had travelled with his wife, son, and daughter to celebrate Easter. His cousin Sanjay Kumrawat said, “His family told us that the terrorists asked for his name, forced him to kneel, and demanded he recite the Kalma. When he said he couldn’t, they shot him.” Sushil’s daughter Akanksha, who rushed to help her father, was shot in the leg.
In Dombivli, Maharashtra, news of the deaths of Hemant Joshi, Sanjay Lele, and Atul Mone sent shockwaves through the local community. Friends and neighbours struggled to comprehend the scale of the tragedy. “We’re still trying to believe this has happened,” said one family friend, visibly shaken.
Jaipur-based chartered accountant Neeraj Udhwani, who was visiting India from Dubai, had travelled to Pahalgam after attending a family wedding. He died alongside several others. His mother, Jyoti, has demanded the harshest punishment for those behind the attack. “They should be hanged,” she said. “What kind of person does this? Not someone with humanity.”
Bengaluru’s Bharath Bhushan had travelled to Kashmir with his wife, Sujatha, and their three-year-old son. Sujatha’s mother, Vimla, said, “He was shot in front of her. She grabbed his identity cards and fled with their son once she realised he was no more.”
In Shivamogga, Karnataka, Roopa, the sister of Manjunath Rao, recounted how they received the news. “A friend called around 4:30 p.m. saying he was in the hospital. But later, we found out through the news that he had died,” she said. The family had never travelled outside Karnataka for a holiday before this trip.
Ramachandran from Kochi, a 65-year-old retiree and avid traveller, had been on vacation with his wife and daughter. The family had reunited after the daughter flew in from Dubai. Neighbours in Edapally recalled him as someone with a zest for life. “He was always talking about his next travel plan,” one resident said.
Visakhapatnam’s JC Chandra Mouli, a retired bank employee, was remembered by neighbour Ravi Kumar as “a man of integrity and warmth”. Kumar said, “He was active in the bank employees’ community even after retirement. This news is unbelievable.”
In West Bengal, families of two men from Kolkata and one from Purulia received their loved ones’ remains with great sorrow. State officials have extended support to the grieving households.
The victims came from 15 Indian states and Nepal, reflecting the wide geographical span of the loss. Maharashtra suffered the highest number of deaths, with six residents killed. Gujarat and Karnataka lost three residents each, followed by three from West Bengal. One death each was reported from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Seventeen others were injured in the attack. Among them, Maharashtra accounted for five injuries, while Gujarat and Tamil Nadu reported two each. Karnataka, Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Nepal reported one injury each. Most of the injured are said to be stable and under medical care.
Security forces continue their operations in the region to track down the perpetrators. In Delhi, political leaders across parties condemned the incident. Back in Srinagar, as the last coffin was loaded for return, an air of stillness lingered.
The pain for many families has only just begun. As Jyoti Udhwani, still in disbelief over her son’s death, put it: “He just wanted to enjoy some peace and beauty. What did he do to deserve this?”