As Chilai Kalan sets in, December 21, 2024, the Kashmir Valley finds itself at a crossroads. While the higher reaches of Gulmarg and Sonamarg are draped in the pristine white that usually signals a windfall for the local economy, the “tourism bloom” remains stunted. The intersection of a lingering dry spell in the plains and a deeply fractured sense of security has turned this winter into a test of resilience rather than a season of celebration.

The primary deterrent to a booming season is not the weather, but the psychological scar left by the Baisaran targeted killings in April 2025. That incident—the deadliest attack on civilians in decades—shifted the militant strategy toward targeting tourists directly, breaking a long-standing unwritten rule of the conflict. The recent “Red........

© Greater Kashmir