Pahalgam terror attack: Former Indian expat in UAE from Kerala among 26 killed in Kashmir

Dubai: A former Indian expatriate in the UAE was among the 26 people gunned down in the tragic terrorist attack that struck the popular tourist destination of Pahalgam in India-administered Kashmir on Tuesday.

N Ramachandran, who hailed from the southern Indian state of Kerala, reportedly became active in politics after returning home from Dubai a few years ago.

His daughter, Arathi Ramachandran, who had recently moved from Dubai to India and survived the attack along with her six-year-old twin sons, has shared a harrowing first-hand account of the incident.

Speaking live on Malayalam television from Kerala, Arathi described how what was meant to be a joyful family holiday in what she called "Mini Switzerland" turned into a nightmarish ordeal.

“We were at a scenic activity zone in Pahalgam—zip lines, bungee jumping, photo spots in traditional Kashmiri dress. There were tourists everywhere,” she recalled.

Her mother, Sheela, who had accompanied them on the trip, was in their hotel. Arathi said they had just reached the activity areas and were engaged in some activities. “Suddenly, there was a loud sound.”

At first, she thought it might be a firecracker. “Then I saw someone shooting from a distance. I quickly realised it was a gunshot. I told my father it is a terror attack and told him and my sons to lie down.”

 “The place was surrounded by forest. People were running helter-skelter,” she said.

Moments later, a gunman appeared near them. “He wasn’t in a military uniform [as some had reported],” she clarified to reporters.
“He told us to lie down and just said something like ‘Kalima’ (declaration of faith). We didn’t know how to respond. We just kept saying in Hindi that we didn’t know.”

Without warning, the gunman shot her father in front of her. “He poked me on the head with his gun. I don’t know if he meant to shoot me as well or just to scare me. But my children started crying and he left me.”

Despite the chaos, she remembered the timeline vividly. “We had reached the activity area on top of the mountain at around 2:10pm. It happened barely 10 minutes after we took tickets and the kids started playing.”

She said everything happened within seconds. It was her sons, she said, who saved her. “They were my wake-up call. I was hugging my father and crying. But when my sons cried and said let us leave, I thought about my mother and I realised I had to get my children to safety.”

She described navigating the hilly terrain, eventually following a trail formed by horse hooves. “It was a mushy area. Our feet were sinking into the mud, and we had to run without shoes.”

After nearly 45 minutes, she regained mobile signal and managed to call her driver. “Within minutes, I saw army personnel running up the mountain.”

While escaping, she tried multiple times to reach her driver, finally getting through after half an hour. She said local residents helped guide her and her children through the dark terrain.

“The Hilton Hotel nearby helped us a lot. They let us into the lobby, gave us a room free of charge, and helped us stay calm. I waited for my mother in front of the hotel. When she reached, I sent my mother and kids into the room while I ran around sorting things out.”

That night, she was called to identify her father’s body. “I already knew he wasn’t just injured. They were focusing on saving the wounded. I couldn’t go back and see my father on the hill.”

Arathi expressed her gratitude to various bodies and people involved in supporting the survivors: “The central and state governments, local officials, and local residents in Kashmir — everyone helped us.”

She profusely thanked two Kashmiri drivers, Muzaffar and Sameer, for supporting her at the time of crisis. “They took care of me like brothers. They even accompanied me to the mortuary. I was there till 3am. Before leaving, I told them: You are now my brothers. May Allah bless you.”

Heartbreakingly, her mother was not told about her father’s death until they reached back home in Kochi. “I didn’t want her to know. I asked everyone not to tell her and had TV connections removed in Srinagar. Even at the airport, I wanted her to be seated away from the news. I pretended to be strong and took her near the gate while other victims were waiting at the lounge.”

Arathi said she had only recently returned from Dubai, relocating temporarily to India. As her children were on summer vacation, the family decided to go on a holiday to Kashmir. They had arrived in Kashmir the evening before the attack on April 21.

Reports from India said Ramachandran’s body arrived in Kochi on Wednesday night and was received by a Minister, local legislators, and scores of residents. His body is lying in a hospital mortuary, awaiting the final rites on Friday.

Ramachandran, who had returned to Kerala around five years ago, was a staunch BJP supporter, according to IANS. He had unsuccessfully contested local body polls and was among those shortlisted as a potential BJP candidate for civic elections to be held later this year, the report added.