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As the Himalayan passes prepare once again to echo with chants of devotion, and the sacred ice-lingam of Amarnath readies itself to receive lakhs of pilgrims, Kashmir stands at a historic juncture — not just of logistics, but of legacy.The Amarnath Yatra 2025 is not merely a spiritual journey to the cave of Lord Shiva. It is a reckoning — a moment that offers Kashmir the opportunity to reassert its civilisational ethic, collective morality, and national alignment. It comes not in a vacuum, but in the long, trembling shadow of the cowardly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, where innocent Tourists— seekers of peace — were targeted in a cold, calculated attempt to reignite the fear that Kashmir has been steadily rising above.
However, the level of public anger in the Valley following that attack was unprecedented. There was, for the first time in a long while, no nuance, no half-hearted disavowal, no silence that could be interpreted as indifference. From the hills of Tral to the alleys of Baramulla, average Kashmiris, community activists, civil society leaders, and even the youth spoke up unequivocally: That is not us. That moral resolve — which is rare, is needed, and most importantly, is potent — must be accompanied by decisive action. And the Yatra is the stage where we must act now, not for adulation, not for Delhi, not for show, but for our dignity, and for the future of our children.
The sanctity of this pilgrimage is a profound national journey of values too; one that does not cross mere glaciers and ridgelines, but traverses the conscience of people long misrepresented and often misunderstood. This year, over three lakh thirty one thousand pilgrims set out on this journey, not merely carrying incense and flower offerings. What they truly carry are questions, hopes, and trust. Trust that they will be welcomed and kept safe. Trust that Kashmir is not what terror wishes the world to believe, but what our ancestors, scriptures, and culture always upheld — a land of reverence and reception.
It falls upon us, the people of this land — its youth, its Ulema, its intellectuals, its shopkeepers, hoteliers, and its storytellers — to live up to that trust. No administration, no matter how visionary, can build peace alone. But where there is a willing hand from above and a wave from below, change ceases to be a dream and becomes destiny.
Alongside this, one must appreciate the governance of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, under whose tenure Jammu and Kashmir have not only regained some semblance of administrative order, but have also been given the opportunity for civil society to function once more. His planning is not limited to just governance and infrastructure; it has encompassed the reconnection of long estranged relations such as between the state and its people, the pilgrim and the host, suffering and recovery. The difference between the previous enduring empty gestures and today’s practical leadership is striking.
Who could forget the ‘public assurance’ stunt taken by CM Omar Abdullah, who cycled 2.5 kilometers with his sons, all to “reassure” the public following a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Apriln 2025 following this deadly attack?. While the entire nation mourns and families across the country grapples with the horror, the state’s top leader chose optics over empathy. The same Abdullah , attended the civil society meeting some days before where I too was present, and literally promised to do everything to welcome Pilgrims . The moment the Amarnath Yatra commenced, LG Sinha went to Jammu to inaugurate the commencement of the Yatra and Abdullah was too occupied in other meetings not to even bother welcoming the tourists to the beauty of Kashmir. What kind of revival is it when the very face of that revival chooses absence over responsibility?
In contrast to the former’s camera-chasing, restoring trust captures LG Manoj Sinha’s presence – year after year, tragedy after tragedy – among the people, the yatris, and more crucially, amidst the Hajis set for their Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, not chasing cameras but restoring faith. While one man pedals past pain, another leads from the front. Under LG Sinha, the leadership has treated the Yatra not as a seasonal event but as a national sacred trust, something that is deeply resonated across the Valley. But for peace to take root, security alone is not enough. The real challenge is moral, and it belongs to the people.
This is the point at which Pakistan’s harmful strategy needs to be laid bare. For years, its military-intelligence complex has mounted not only a hot war in Kashmir, but also a cold, psychological war, attempting to rewrite history. It has sought to transform our narrative – turning a geo-political land of saints into a laboratory of separatism, hijacking the memory of Kashmiriyat and supplanting it with radicalism. The Amarnath Yatra represents an existential menace to that project. Not of faith, but precisely for what it represents: the potential for Kashmir to host, heal, and honor. The employing of a guide by a Kashmiri Muslim — whether during the blizzard while guiding him, or serving him kehwa at a base camp, or safeguarding a pilgrim’s child from injury — captures the essence of decades of propaganda. That image tells a story that no proxy war, no falsified hashtag, or distorted video can undo this, and only this, is why the Yatra is always under attack from terror groups. Not for its strategic value, rather for its symbolic destruction. What they fear most is the fundamental proof that the Yatra offers – the Valley is not returning to Delhi, but instead, reclaiming dignity.
And especially now, we must take this opportunity — not only to ensure the safety of pilgrims, but also to make them our ambassadors. If Kashmir aims to jumpstart its tourism industry—if it looks to restore its ailing economy, mend its relationship with the rest of India, and reclaim its place in the national psyche—then this is the moment. When yatris return to Lucknow, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru, they will not return with only pictures of snow-covered peaks, but also with stories of how Kashmir, even in the wake of tragedy, chose to receive them with warmth. They will share how a land scarred by terrorism chose to show kindness, how a people historically demonized by propaganda protected a journey meant for the divine, which turned into an incredible expression of compassion. That degree of publicity exceeds any advertisement we can offer. That will spur the return of students, hikers, business delegates, and film crews. That will trigger the revival of the neglected economies of Anantnag and Baltal. That is how Kashmir with a hug— and not a headline— will reclaim and rewrite its narrative in the Indian consciousness.
This is not a fantasy. It is already happening. In village after village, young Kashmiris — many of whom once stood on the brink of radicalisation — are today forming volunteer groups to assist yatris. Local ulema are issuing sermons reminding people that protecting guests is part of Islam, not a dilution of it. Mothers wait at dusk to serve tea. Police officials work overtime not just as duty, but as dharma.We are witnessing not just the security of a pilgrimage, but the spiritual return of a people to their civilisational inheritance.
Let the 2025 Yatra be the year that Kashmir said: “We remember who we are. And we remember who we are not.”Let it be the year that Pakistan’s final script failed, not because of India’s force, but because of Kashmir’s forgiveness.Let it be the year when the yatri was not just a visitor — but a messenger of peace, carrying back to the rest of India the truth that no agency, no infiltrator, and no enemy wants to admit: that Kashmir, at its core, was never a problem. It was always a promise: And now, it is time to keep that promise.
Mudasir Dar is a social and peace activist based in South Kashmir. He is a Rashtrapati Award recipient in world scouting and has contributed to many local and national publications on a diverse range of topics, including national security, politics, governance, peace, and conflict.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.