Amarnath yatra attack: Kashmiris donate blood to victims, send out message against terror

The Kashmiri local youth came out in large numbers to donate blood for the victims of the Amarnath terror attack.

Srinagar, July 11: It was a horrible Monday night for India.

As terror once again raised its ugly head in Kashmir, claiming the lives of seven Amarnath yatris (pilgrims) and injuring around 15, in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmiris decided to voice their protest against the dastardly act against mankind.

Along with separatist leaders condemning the gunning down of devotees as an attack on the "Kashmiri ethos", the locals, especially the youth, decided to rush to hospitals to donate blood to the injured.

These kinds of stories of humanity against all odds reaffirm the value that no matter how much terrorist organisations tried to divide people on communal lines, people of Kashmir decided not to become puppets in the hands of divisive forces.

Since long, Kashmiris have always made it a point to ensure smooth conduct of the annual Hindu pilgrimage that attracts hundreds from various parts of the country.

In the recent past, in spite of terror threats, security forces with apt help from locals ensured that devotees had a safe pilgrimage experience.

It is the local Muslim men who are often seen carrying yatris on their shoulders as they trek the hilly terrain to reach the holy Amarnath shrine located in Pahalgam.

The locals also work to provide food and lodging facilities to the visitors during the yatra.

The former chief minister of the state Farooq Abdullah requested people from across India to visit the state in large numbers to defeat those elements who want to destroy the secular fabric of India.

"I appeal to everyone in my nation please come in large numbers, so that you can defeat these elements who want to destroy our nation," said Abdullah.

"Come and show them that you are not afraid, that's what is very important," Abdullah appealed to pilgrims and tourists.

OneIndia News