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Bharat Bhushan, a 35-year-old man, didn’t beg for his own life—he begged for his child’s future.
But in the serene landscape of Pahalgam, now marred by terror and gunfire, mercy had no place. Despite his desperate plea, he was shot in the head by one of the terrorists, becoming one of the 26 victims in Tuesday’s horrific attack.
A Day of Joy Turns into a Nightmare
The Bhushan family—Bharat, his wife Sujatha, and their three-year-old child—were enjoying the final stop of their vacation in the lush, scenic Baisaran Valley. They had just taken pony rides, snapped pictures, and dressed in local Kashmiri attire.
Dr. Sujatha Bhushan recounted the chilling moments that followed.
“We went for the vacation on April 18. Pahalgam was our last stop… we went up to Baisaran that day on pony rides and, when we reached, we took photographs and played with our child. We tried out Kashmiri costumes… then suddenly we heard lots of shots…”
Eyewitnesses say it began shortly after 2:30 pm. A single gunshot shattered the calm, and then came chaos. Terrorists stormed the meadow, moving swiftly, executing with what appeared to be military-like precision.
The Bhushans, along with other tourists and locals, scrambled for safety—but in the wide-open field, there was almost none to be found.
“Initially we thought they were just driving away birds or wild animals… but the noise kept continuing and getting closer. Then we realised this is not typical… this is an attack.”
No Place to Hide
Trapped in the middle of the vast, open space, the family crouched behind a cluster of tents set up by locals. The makeshift shelter offered little more than a momentary illusion of safety.
“You know how Baisaran is… it is a large field and we were right in the middle. Anywhere we tried to run, it is quite a far distance to the perimeter. So we started hiding behind tents, the Kashmiri tents, set up in the middle of field,” Dr Bhushan said.
From their hiding spot, they watched in horror. The gunmen were pulling people from tents, questioning them, and executing them on the spot.
“One terrorist went to a tent about 100 feet away… he took a man out, seemed to talk to him, and shot him in the head. He did it twice more… I couldn’t hear what he was saying. But then, near our tent, I could hear, ‘How can you enjoy vacation when our children are suffering?'”
“He said, ‘Haven’t you seen the news? How could you just enjoy yourselves like this…’ to an elderly man and then shot him in the head also, then another.”
Then the killer approached their tent.
“He came to my husband… and he didn’t even speak. He just shot him. My husband was requesting him, ‘I have a child… please spare me’. But he just shot him and left…”
National Grief and Global Ramifications
The Pahalgam massacre is the deadliest terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir since the Pulwama tragedy in 2019, where 40 Indian soldiers were killed.
The Indian government responded swiftly and sternly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was abroad at the time of the attack, condemned the violence and emphasized that India stands united against terrorism.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh issued a warning to those behind the attack.
“We won’t punish only the monsters who carried out this act of brutality and barbarianism. We will also reach those who hid behind a curtain to carry out this conspiracy.”
Military experts, including retired Major General Yash Mor, believe the scale and precision of the attack points to the involvement of Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI).
In the wake of the attack, India has taken diplomatic action—halting the Indus Water Treaty and revoking visas for Pakistani nationals. But with mounting pressure and fiery declarations from leadership, a military response—similar to the Balakot airstrikes—is not off the table.
