J&K’s Yusmarg Resort Reopened in February, but Post-Pahalgam Attack Restrictions are Crippling Livelihoods

Yusmarg: At a security checkpoint some two kilometres from Yusmarg tourist resort in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, a paramilitary trooper armed with an automatic rifle signalled a Maruti Suzuki car to halt.

Inside a tin shed behind the trooper, a J&K police constable sat cross-legged, leisurely questioning a middle-aged man standing in front of him while jotting down the details on a logbook.

“Name, phone number, car registration details, number of passengers. Alright, you can go now,” the constable told the man, pausing at each detail while a paramilitary trooper seated next to him also noted the details in his own logbook without making any intervention.

The newly-built tin shed is a defining feature of daily life in this central Kashmir health resort, nestled in the heart of the Pir Panjal mountains, about 47 kilometres from capital Srinagar.

Yusmarg was closed last year in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack along with 47 other tourist destinations in the Union territory. On February 16, J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha announced its reopening along with 13 other tourist destinations. However, severe restrictions on tourism activities continue to remain in place.

A senior officer in the government said that there was no official order on the restrictions enforced by J&K police, army and the paramilitary troopers.

“It would have been better to keep it closed than to mislead tourists who return disappointed as they are not allowed to venture beyond the main bowl of Yusmarg,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.

Dozens of police and Central Reserve Paramilitary Forces (CRPF) personnel armed with automatic rifles form a loose perimeter around some 500 square metres in the Yusmarg bowl ahead of the tree line.

“A foreign tourist was recently detained by security forces for trespass and asked to leave immediately,” the official added.

The restrictions have affected hundreds of pony operators and small vendors besides hoteliers and other small-time traders who earn a livelihood in Yusmarg. 

Security restrictions have adversely affected the livelihoods of hundreds of pony operators (in photo) in Yusmarg. Photo: The Wire

According to officials, some 500 men, mostly belonging to the economically disadvantaged families, are registered as pony operators who used to make a living by taking tourists to Dragtolan, Frasnag, Liddermad and 13 other registered spots in the higher reaches of Yusmarg.

However, security restrictions have taken a heavy toll on these men and their families. 

"This is the only source of income for us,” said Abdul Hamid Khan, the president of Yusmarg Pony Operators Association, adding, “If the government doesn’t lift the restrictions, we will be forced to beg”. 

Bashir Ahmad, a pony operator, said that they spoke with authorities who justified the restrictions by citing “security reasons”. 

“Yusmarg has never seen any militant attacks. We are ready to become the eyes and ears of security forces but they should not trample on our livelihood,” he said.

Authorities have also banned the overnight stay of tourists in this central Kashmir health resort, leaving several government-run hotels and guest houses empty, while owners of private hotels have been forced to either shut their properties completely or lay off their staff.

“We had eight to ten employees and even more when the situation was normal. Then the Pahalgam tragedy happened and Yusmarg was closed for tourists. We had no option but to lay off some of our staff,” said Qazi Rafiq, owner of Sharief Hotel and Restaurant. 

Ahmad said that some political leaders and their workers swarmed Yusmarg to claim credit when LG Sinha announced the reopening of 13 tourist destinations in February.

“They came with camera crews and gave speeches about how their efforts to reopen Yusmarg had finally borne fruit but it was all a big political charade,” he said. 

Earlier this month, a local BJP leader organised a meeting in Yusmarg along with some local party workers. The pony operators and some two dozen vendors were verbally invited to the meeting. Some of them decided to join in. 

A BJP flag atop a street light in Yusmarg, Jammu and Kashmir. Photo: The Wire

Yusmarg falls in Charari Sharief assembly constituency which is represented by senior NC leader and speaker of J&K assembly Abdul Rahim Rather. 

“I am a National Conference (NC) worker but I am ready to shake hands with anyone who takes care of our issues,” a pony operator said, wishing anonymity.

When The Wire visited Yusmarg on Tuesday (May 12), two senior leaders of the ruling NC, Hasnain Masoodi and Ali Mohammad Dar, legislators of Pampore and Chadoora constituency respectively, were interacting with the pony operators. 

“The visit (by the BJP leader) hasn’t gone down well with the NC which is why they sent these leaders to check the situation. Their workers even reprimanded the pony operators for meeting the BJP leader,” he said. 

Defending the restrictions, a senior police officer said that the decision to keep the tourists away from the tree-line was taken after a security review meeting in May last year in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

A group of herdsmen cross the security checkpoint which has become a defining feature of daily life in Yusmarg. Photo: The Wire

“The restrictions have been imposed for the safety of tourists only. We can’t afford another Baisaran-like tragedy. In any case, not more than some 250 tourists visit Yusmarg daily on an average and if the hoteliers can assure their security, we can permit night stays also,” the police officer said. 

However, the government official quoted above blamed the security restrictions for less footfall of tourists in Yusmarg, saying “There are many videos on social media showing locals and tourists complaining about restrictions which discourages others also”. 

At dusk, pea whistles pierce the cool mountain air of Yusmarg from all directions – an ominous signal that sends visitors, pony operators and vendors scrambling to pack up and leave before darkness claims the meadow.

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