Bhavnagar, Gujarat – A heart-wrenching wave of sorrow engulfed Bhavnagar on Thursday morning as the mortal remains of Yatish Parmar and his son Sumit Parmar, victims of the heinous Pahalgam terror attack, were brought back to their residence. The father-son duo was among the 26 innocent civilians killed when terrorists opened fire on tourists at Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday.
A solemn crowd gathered at the Parmar residence, where grieving family members, relatives, and friends paid their last respects. The arrival of the bodies was met with tears and prayers, marking a dark day for the local community.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the grieving family to offer condolences and pay tribute to the departed souls. Expressing solidarity, he announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹5 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to those injured from Gujarat in the attack.
“The Gujarat government stands with full sympathy for the families of the victims… We mourn the tragic loss of innocent lives,” CM Patel said in a post on X.
According to Prashant Nathani, a relative of the victims, Yatish and Sumit had travelled to Kashmir on April 16 to attend a katha by Morari Bapu as part of a 15-day pilgrimage. On Tuesday morning, while sightseeing at Baisaran, they fell victim to the sudden, indiscriminate gunfire from terrorists.
“They left to enjoy the beauty of Kashmir and never returned. They were simply tourists, there to listen to a spiritual discourse. Their lives were taken in a moment of unimaginable brutality,” Nathani told ANI.
In response to the attack, the Indian government has launched sweeping diplomatic measures against Pakistan, holding it accountable for supporting cross-border terrorism:
- Indus Waters Treaty suspended
- Integrated Check Post at Attari closed immediately
- SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme suspended for Pakistani nationals
- Pakistani military attaches in New Delhi declared Persona Non Grata
- Indian military advisors in Islamabad to be withdrawn
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condemned the attack and vowed justice for the victims. The CCS stressed the cross-border links of the attack and reinforced India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism.
This deadly attack, which took place in a peaceful tourist spot, is considered the worst since the Pulwama bombing in 2019 and comes in the wake of increasing concern over Pakistan-backed terrorism, especially in the region post the abrogation of Article 370.
As Bhavnagar mourns, a nation stands united in grief, determined that the sacrifice of Yatish and Sumit Parmar, and 24 other victims, will not go unanswered.