Srinagar, April 23 – In a powerful expression of grief and solidarity, several leading newspapers in Kashmir carried blacked-out front pages on Wednesday to protest the brutal terrorist attack at the popular tourist destination Baisaran, near Pahalgam. The attack, which took place on Tuesday, claimed the lives of 26 people, most of whom were tourists.
As per agency report, English and Urdu dailies including Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Uzma, Aftab, and Tameel Irshad replaced their usual layouts with sombre black backgrounds, white or red bold headlines, and editorials that conveyed the region’s collective mourning and condemnation of the heinous act. The gesture evoked painful memories of decades of violence that have scarred the valley, while also symbolizing the resilience of its people and media.
Greater Kashmir's front page featured the stark headline “Gruesome: Kashmir Gutted, Kashmiris Grieving” in white font against a black background, followed by a red subheading that read “26 Killed in Deadly Terror Attack in Pahalgam.” The lead editorial titled “The Massacre in the Meadow – Protect Kashmir’s Soul” urged immediate and coordinated efforts to safeguard the region's fragile peace and identity.
The editorial described the attack as casting a pall over Jammu and Kashmir, a land long striving to revive its image as “heaven on earth.” It argued that the assault was not merely against innocent lives but a deliberate blow to Kashmir’s core values—its famed hospitality, its local economy reliant on tourism, and its delicate social harmony.
The newspaper stressed the need for increased intelligence sharing and coordination among security agencies, emphasizing that even pedestrian-accessible tourist spots like Baisaran must not be overlooked in preventive strategies. It also advocated for deeper community engagement and proactive counterterrorism measures to prevent such horrors from recurring.
The editorial poignantly remarked, “The soul of Kashmir mourns this cruelty and stands in compassion with those who came in search of beauty but encountered tragedy.” It concluded with a call for unity, stating, “Kashmiris have endured too much violence, yet they have not broken. This attack must not divide us—it must unite us against terror."
