By: Dar Javed
The recent cowardly attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam has once again shaken all of us. As a Kashmiri and a research scholar at IIT, my heart bleeds for every soul lost to this mindless violence. The pain is real. The grief is deep. But today, as a son of Kashmir, and as someone who has seen the power of knowledge and unity, I appeal not just for sympathy — but for solidarity.
I say to all my countrymen — Kashmir Chalo!
Come to Kashmir. Walk its valleys, breathe its air, feel its soul. This land is not just mine — it is yours too. It is not the land of terror; it is the land of hospitality, of beauty, of resilience.
The enemies of peace want to isolate Kashmir. They dream that fear will separate us. That after every tragedy, Kashmir will be left alone, boycotted, abandoned.
But we must not give them this victory. Our answer should be — we will come in greater numbers. We will walk hand-in-hand. We will stand together. Kashmir is not just a piece of land. It is the poetry of India, the crown of Bharat . It is woven into our history, our culture, our dreams. Turning our back on Kashmir because of a few nefarious elements is not the solution — embracing it even more tightly is.
These nefarious elements want to scare tourists away because they know — every smiling visitor, every bustling market, every busy shikara is a defeat for their hatred. Tourism is the lifeline for thousands of ordinary Kashmiri families — artisans, hoteliers, guides, farmers. Killing tourism is killing livelihoods, killing dreams.
We cannot let them succeed.
Tourism is not just a sector for Kashmir — it is its heartbeat. As per recent data, tourism contributes around 7% to Jammu and Kashmir’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). In real numbers, that is nearly ₹8,000 crore annually. Tourism directly and indirectly supports the livelihoods of over 70,000 Kashmiris — from shikara owners in Dal Lake to houseboat operators, from taxi drivers to tour guides, from artisans weaving carpets to hotel employees. Every tourist who sets foot in the Valley helps keep a family’s hope alive, keeps a child’s education running, and sustains the dream of a peaceful, prosperous Kashmir. When we visit, we are not just seeing the beauty of Kashmir — we are investing in its stability and strengthening the bond of nationhood.
So I call upon you: Come to Kashmir this summer. Visit all places in kashmir . Support our brothers and sisters who are fighting every day to keep Kashmir vibrant, alive, and connected with the rest of India.
Let us not allow a handful of elements to define what Kashmir is.
Kashmir is not terror. Kashmir is tahafuz (protection), kashmiriyat (brotherhood), and insaniyat (humanity). Kashmir is the smile of a child running through mustard fields. Kashmir is the aroma of kahwa in a winter morning. Kashmir is the sound of azaan echoing alongside temple bells. Kashmir is the song of a boatman on Dal Lake at dawn.
By boycotting Kashmir, we hurt the very people who are standing with the idea of India.
By coming to Kashmir, we show the enemies of peace that their hatred cannot and will not win.
This is a war we must fight together —
Not with guns and grenades, but with unity, with courage, with love. I ask every fellow countrymen — every student, every professional, every family: Instead of cancelling your travel plans, make new ones.
Instead of staying away, come closer.
Instead of fear, show faith.
Faith in the people of Kashmir.
Faith in our collective strength as a nation.
Faith in the spirit of humanity that no amount of violence can extinguish. Imagine a thousand Indian families walking the banks of Jhelum River. Imagine students trekking through the Lidder Valley. Imagine every corner of Kashmir alive with the colors and sounds of unity. That would be the real defeat of terror. That would be the real tribute to the victims of Pahalgam. Killers want Kashmir to be seen as a land of fear. Let us show them that it is, and always will be, a land of love.
They want darkness to descend on our valleys.
Let us light a million lamps together.
They want division.
Let us show unbreakable unity.
Kashmir Chalo is not just a tourism slogan; it is a movement- a movement for reclaiming the spirit of Kashmir and celebrating the oneness of our nation.
A movement to say — We will not be divided. We will not be scared. We will not abandon our own.
This land has given us so much — its beauty, its art, its spirit. Now it needs us.
Not just our sympathies, but our footsteps. Not just our thoughts, but our presence.
As a Kashmiri youth and research scholar at IIT, I have full faith that the spirit of India is stronger than the forces of hatred.
We have rebuilt after every storm, and we will rebuild now — not with bricks alone, but with bonds of brotherhood.
So let us make a promise.
To not let fear win.
To not let hatred win.
To not let the enemies of peace dictate the destiny of our Kashmir.
Let our answer be clear and united: Kashmir Chalo.
For every innocent life lost.
For every hope that still breathes.
For the Kashmir that belongs to all of us.
The writer is a research scholar at IIT
