Written by Nayonika Manna and Ibrahim Molough
On 24th April, at least 24 people had been killed after gunmen opened fire on a group of Indian tourists visiting Baisaran, a scenic meadow near Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir. The area, known as the “Switzerland of India,” is only reachable by foot or horseback, making it hard for emergency services to reach the victims quickly.
No group has claimed responsibility so far. Kashmir has faced a separatist insurgency since 1989. The most recent major attack on civilians before this occurred in June 2024, when militants opened fire on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims, killing nine people and injuring 33 others.
The attack, described by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” also left many injured, some critically. Security forces have launched a joint search operation in the area.
The attack has triggered protests not only in India but also abroad. In Denmark, members of the Indian community held a silent march in Copenhagen on April 25 and Aarhus on April 27 to honour the victims. The event was organized by Friends of India in Denmark (FIIDA).
A FIIDA spokesperson said, “The purpose of the silent march was to make people in Copenhagen aware of the situation in India. A lot of things that go down in South Asian countries are underrepresented in the Western media because they do not affect people over here directly and are often non-profitable to the news organisations. What happened in Kashmir has haunted Indians across the globe.”
Deepak Singh, an Indian living in Copenhagen who joined the march, said he wanted to “pay tribute to all the people who were killed.”
More such marches are being planned in other cities across Denmark as the Indian diaspora continues to speak out against terrorism.
This article is for Indian and Pakistani audience and can be published in the Times of India or the Hindustan Times.