“Kashmir Ditch”, “Holocaust on the Grass”: Local newspapers turn black to pay tribute to life in Pahalgam terrorist attack
English and Urdu daily newspapers such as Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Uzma, aftab and taameel-e-irshad, replaced their usual layout with distinct black pages, with only white or red texts – visual mourning and resistance.
The headlines are shocking.
Greater Kashmir wrote in the red of blood with: “Creepy: Kashmir’s intestines, Kashmir’s sorrow” under the subtitle of white “26 people killed in the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam”. Other papers convey a similar message, lamenting one of the darkest days in their recent memory.
“The Massacre on the Grass”
Greater Kashmir describes the terrorist attack as “a deliberate blow to Kashmir’s identity and values - its hospitality, economy and fragile peace”.
“This outrageous act is not only an attack on innocent lives, but a deliberate blow to Kashmir’s identity and values - its hospitality, economy and a fragile peace,” the editorial reads. “The soul of Kashmir expresses a clear condemnation of this cruelty and provides a heartfelt attitude to the families of the victims’ families where the ambush occurred, and the editorial highlights the need for clearer intelligence coordination and proactive security strategies.
Call for “deeper community engagement”
The paper notes: “The fact that high-traffic tourist attractions that can only be visited by walking or pony reveals the disturbing gap.”
The editorial ended with a rally calling for solidarity: “This attack must not be sowing a division, but uniting us against terrorism. We urge all people – governments, security forces, civil society and citizens – to build a collective front for the collective front. Only through unwavering resolution can we protect the future of our land to ensure that Pahalgam’s Meadows echo echo echo echo echo echo echo echo with Lughfir lught lughfire lugh not lugh unchfire not lugh unchfire””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””’
In Srinagar and other towns, locals responded to the mood of the press, with candlelight vigils and silent parades going into the evening. The black front page, which is now widely shared on social media, is both a protest and a promise – even in grief, the voice of Kashmir will not be silent.
(Input with PTI)
