Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Jul 9: Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, on Tuesday termed the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 civilians dead, as an “Amavas ki kali raat” (a dark night of no moon), stating that while the tragedy was painful, the nation must look ahead and move forward with resilience and unity.
Addressing a Tourism Secretaries’ Meet of Union Territories here, Shekhawat said, “We must not let one dark night define the future. We have to forget the Pahalgam terror attack as ‘Amavas ki kali raat’ and focus on building a brighter tomorrow.”
Referring to the ongoing tourism secretaries’ Meet of Union Territories” he said, “It’s for the first time, such an event is being held to collectively discuss and promote tourism in the UTs.”
The Union Minister emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a transformative journey since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. “J&K has witnessed unprecedented development in recent years,” he said.
He said that the global outlook towards India is changing rapidly, with tourism playing a significant role in driving economic growth and improving India’s international image. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always maintained that the Union Territories, must emerge as tourism powerhouses,” Shekhawat said.
Highlighting the diversification of religious tourism in J&K, the Minister said that earlier the region was known only for select pilgrimage sites. “Now, multiple new locations have been integrated into the religious tourism circuit,” he added.
He also stressed the potential of adventure, water, and nature-based tourism in the UT. “Lavender tourism, for instance, has drawn lakhs of tourists to Jammu and Kashmir and become an emerging attraction,” he said.
Underscoring the importance of accessibility, Shekhawat noted that “the first prerequisite to develop any tourist destination is ease of access—via road, rail, or air.”
He called for significant infrastructural efforts to transform lesser-known locations into global tourist hubs.
The Minister proposed a forward-looking, structured approach to tourism promotion. “To make any destination globally recognized, we need to put in sustained effort. Events and festivals should be calendarized and repeated annually to create a lasting identity,” he said. “Monthly exhibitions, fixed-date festivals, and curated cultural experiences can become the foundation for off-season tourism.” (KNO)
