Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sidestepped questions regarding the long-pending demand for a motorable road to Baisaran, a scenic but remote meadow that witnessed a tragic terrorist attack last month, claiming the lives of 25 tourists and a local.
Following a special Cabinet meeting held in Pahalgam, Abdullah dismissed accusations that the lack of road infrastructure to Baisaran was influenced by vote-bank politics. Instead, he pointed to the dense forest cover surrounding the area, suggesting environmental concerns as a major factor in the delay.
"I haven't heard of any politics regarding this. It is a forested area. If we cut trees for the road, climate activists would have objected to it... har taraf se maar khate hai (the government gets blamed by all sides)," the Chief Minister said.
The picturesque meadow of Baisaran, located 6.5 km from Pahalgam, is accessible only by foot or pony via a dirt track, a factor that delayed the arrival of security forces during the April 22 terror attack. It took more than an hour for rescue teams to reach the scene—an advantage that investigators believe was exploited by the terrorists, who were familiar with the area’s difficult terrain.
Despite long-standing public demand, successive governments have failed to construct an all-weather motorable road to Baisaran. Opposition from local pony operators—who fear losing their livelihood—combined with political reluctance to alienate this influential vote bank, has kept the issue unresolved.
However, following the attack and mounting criticism, the Omar Abdullah-led government has expedited plans to construct a metalled road connecting Pahalgam to Baisaran.
"The road will be made now. I don't know who tried to halt the construction. We have kept the road construction as priority number 1," Pahalgam MLA Altaf Kaloo said.
The government is also rolling out confidence-building measures aimed at reviving Kashmir’s vital tourism sector, which has suffered an estimated 80 per cent drop in bookings post-terrorist attack.
Abdullah stressed that the government would not be "intimidated by cowardly acts of terror" and stressed that the tourism should not be a barometer to projecting normalcy.
"Tourism should be a conflict-neutral activity. Tourism is an economic activity for us. It is a source of income for people. Unfortunately, it has been entangled with politics. But our government will try to insulate tourism from the prevailing conditions," he said.
Tourism remains a cornerstone of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, and the administration is now under pressure to ensure that infrastructure and security challenges do not undermine the sector further.
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