Not in my name. That was the clear message that went out from Kashmir on Wednesday, with people pouring into the streets across towns and villages to express their anguish and condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.Srinagar city and other parts of Kashmir witnessed a shutdown, perhaps a first in recent memory. A common occurrence before August 2019, when Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated, this was the first shutdown in Kashmir in nearly six years.
While Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti apologised to the people of the country and said Kashmiris were ashamed of the incident during a protest march in Srinagar, the ruling National Conference too marched to the Lal Chowk city centre to protest against the attack.
People from all walks of life denounced the attack on the tourists, saying the perpetrators were hitting at the foundation of the valley’s economy.
“This should not happen — not in the name of Kashmir and not in the name of Islam. Islamic teachings value human life to the point that taking an innocent life is akin to killing entire humanity,” Haji Bashir Ahmad Dar, a resident of Srinagar said.
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