Mumbai, April 25 (IANS) After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the work of bringing back the people stranded at various places in Jammu and Kashmir has already started.
On Thursday, several tourists heaved a sigh of relief after reaching Mumbai and spoke to IANS, thanking the Central government and the Maharashtra government, for safely evacuating them back to their house.
Nidhi, a tourist who returned from Srinagar, told IANS: “First of all, it feels very good to reach Mumbai. I want to thank the Central and the state governments from the bottom of my heart for bringing us back from Srinagar.”
Asked about the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, she said: “I went to Pahalgam from Srinagar on April 21. I had planned to visit the tourist spot on April 22. But, due to some reason, I could not go. It is only later that I received information about the terrorist incident in Pahalgam.”
“After the terror attack, all tourists went to their hotel. The Indian government has supported tourists like me a lot. The government assured us that it is standing united with us.”
Kamal Kishore, a senior citizen who returned from Srinagar, told IANS: “I had gone to Srinagar for the Ram Katha. I was not in Pahalgam at the time of the terror attack. When the terror incident took place in Pahalgam, the Ram Katha was postponed.”
Nitin Chatre, another tourist, told IANS: “The people stranded in Jammu and Kashmir are being brought to their home via flights. I came to know about the terror attack in Pahalgam through news channels. The Central government did what it should have done.”
A female traveller told IANS: “I had gone to Kashmir on April 17. I was about to reach Pahalgam in another 20-25 minutes when this horrific attack took place. But I want to thank the Maharashtra government and the Central government from the bottom of my heart. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde came and met me, spoke to all other tourists and there was a feeling of relief when he met me. The day the terror incident happened, we were all scared but couldn’t go anywhere that day. But the next day everything was normal.”
Another tourist told IANS: “If happiness has come back on my face since the last three days, it has come today when the government brought me back safely to my house in Maharashtra.”
An elderly traveller, who returned from Srinagar, told IANS: “It feels good to be back home safe. There is a lot of sadness, grief and anger about the terrorist incident which took place in Pahalgam. Everyone like me who was there in Kashmir was scared for their lives.”
Another senior citizen told IANS: “It feels good that we have reached Mumbai safely. It was safe in Srinagar too until the terror attack took place.”
A young woman told IANS: “She was in Srinagar at the time of the horrific terror attack. I did not go to Pahalgam though. I received help from the local people and the government.”
An elderly woman told IANS: “Kashmir is very beautiful. People like me are saddened by the terrorist incident which took place in Pahalgam. The government is doing good work. The Maharashtra government has made good arrangements for our return back to Mumbai.”
–IANS
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