Tourists thank Kashmiri locals for ensuring their safety after attack
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Srinagar: As fear gripped Pahalgam following the horrific attack, locals in Kashmir rallied to ensure the safety of stranded tourists. Among the heroes was Imtiaz, a Kashmiri driver who helped Pooja Maney, a dispute officer from Bengaluru, and her mother escape danger and reach Srinagar safely.
Pooja recounted that she and her mother were preparing to leave for Pahalgam when news of the attack reached them. She shared that she was unsure about what to do and immediately called their driver, Imtiaz, for help. “Within a few hours, he ensured our safety by taking us from our hotel in Gulmarg to his residence in Srinagar,” Pooja was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express. She added that they have been staying there since Tuesday.
Tourist agencies report that over 100 families from Karnataka visited Jammu and Kashmir in April. Of these, about 20 families managed to fly back to Karnataka from Srinagar just hours before the Pahalgam attack was reported.
Another Bengaluru tourist, Namrata H., described how quickly the atmosphere shifted from serene to tense, noting that her family was at the Dal Lake when they learned of the attack. She shared that the region went silent—shops closed, roadblocks appeared, and a curfew was imposed. “It was the locals and tourist guides who helped us. They guided my family through the checkpoints and ensured we reached the airport safely by Wednesday evening,” TNIE report quoted her as saying.
With much of Kashmir under shutdown and road routes blocked, many visitors found themselves stranded. They credit local residents and guides for their swift assistance, guiding them through affected areas and arranging transport to Srinagar airport.
In response to the crisis, the Karnataka Tourism Department established a helpline on Wednesday, and had received nearly 50 calls from tourists and their families by evening.
*Locals, drivers, tour guides step in to safeguard tourists after Pahalgam attack*
Srinagar: As fear gripped Pahalgam following the horrific attack, locals in Kashmir rallied to ensure the safety of stranded tourists. Among the heroes was Imtiaz, a Kashmiri driver who helped Pooja Maney, a dispute officer from Bengaluru, and her mother escape danger and reach Srinagar safely.
Pooja recounted that she and her mother were preparing to leave for Pahalgam when news of the attack reached them. She shared that she was unsure about what to do and immediately called their driver, Imtiaz, for help. “Within a few hours, he ensured our safety by taking us from our hotel in Gulmarg to his residence in Srinagar,” Pooja was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express. She added that they have been staying there since Tuesday.
Tourist agencies report that over 100 families from Karnataka visited Jammu and Kashmir in April. Of these, about 20 families managed to fly back to Karnataka from Srinagar just hours before the Pahalgam attack was reported.
Another Bengaluru tourist, Namrata H., described how quickly the atmosphere shifted from serene to tense, noting that her family was at the Dal Lake when they learned of the attack. She shared that the region went silent—shops closed, roadblocks appeared, and a curfew was imposed. “It was the locals and tourist guides who helped us. They guided my family through the checkpoints and ensured we reached the airport safely by Wednesday evening,” TNIE report quoted her as saying.
With much of Kashmir under shutdown and road routes blocked, many visitors found themselves stranded. They credit local residents and guides for their swift assistance, guiding them through affected areas and arranging transport to Srinagar airport.
In response to the crisis, the Karnataka Tourism Department established a helpline on Wednesday, and had received nearly 50 calls from tourists and their families by evening.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
