No scare among tourists in Kashmir;majority prefer to stay put

Srinagar, May 26 (UNI) ''You show us any place in the world which is safe. A bomb explosion or an accident can take place anywhere....

Kashmir is no exception,'' said a honeymoon couple of Baroda undeterred by killing of four of their fellow Gujaratis in a bomb explosion here last night.

Niranjan Meharana and Anuradha of Gujarat got married less than a month ago and the first destination that came to their mind for honeymoon was Kashmir.

''Both of us decided to visit Kashmir to see the Paradise on Earth for our honeymoon. But, we decided to keep it a secret as otherwise our families would not have allowed us to visit the place,'' said Niranjan who works with a multi-national company.

The couple arrived here on May 24, but were taken aback to see the Srinagar city under siege.

''Immediate on our arrival here, we thought curfew had been imposed in Srinagar. We asked the taxi driver and he told us that the security has been tightened as Prime Minister Manomhan Singh was here for the round-table conference...And then for two days, we really had a tough time,'' he said.

His wife Anuradha, a teacher, was angry over the fact that such a conference should not have been held in Kashmir at this time of the year as this was the peak tourist season in the Valley.

''I don't think there was any need to hold such a conference here. It could have been organised in any part of the country. It was not required at all. What do you say? she countered.

Niranjan said the people's anger against the authorities was justified. ''Those related to tourism are entirely dependant on these three-four months. After that the season is over. So, they try to earn their livelihood during this period only,'' he added.

About the situation following yesterday's explosion in a bus in which four tourists from Gujarat were killed, the couple said no place in the world was safe. ''We hear about such incidents happening almost everyday in one part of the world or other. Kashmir is no exception.'' However, they had a piece of advice for the media here. ''Please give correct information. A lot depends on what you write or show.

The flow of information is there in Kashmir, but I am sorry to say that most of the time it is lacking in facts,'' Anuradha said.

Niranjan said the tourists come on their own risk and responsibility and spend good money to have a quality time here.

''Why should anybody feel scared here. Tourists are fully aware of the situation prevailing in Kashmir and decide to visit the place only after taking all pros and cons into consideration,'' he added.

Anuradha said a person should have a strong belief in God and be ready for death all the time.

''Till then be positive and enjoy every moment of life,'' she said smilingly.

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