Pahalgam killings spark outrage across state

Markets across the state, including in Shimla, were kept closed for two hours in a protest against the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The shops were kept closed across the state capital on the call of the Himachal Pradesh Beopar Mandal.

Inderjit Singh, vice-president of the Himachal Pradesh Beopar Mandal, said that the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 tourists were killed, was tragic and condemnable.

Singh asserted that the business community stood in solidarity with those who had lost their loved ones in the attack. “The nation now looks towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take strong action against terrorism to ensure its complete eradication,” he said.

Meanwhile, the business community in Mandi district observed a two-hour shutdown on Thursday and held a symbolic march, condemning the killing of 26 civilians by terrorists in Pahalgam.

Shops in Mandi and Sundernagar remained closed until 11 am as part of a silent protest organised by the local trade associations.

Traders, carrying banners, gathered at Bhojpur Bazaar and marched to the SDM office, demanding justice for the victims.

A memorandum addressed to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah was submitted through the SDM, urging the government to take strict action against those responsible for the attack. The traders stressed that both attackers and facilitators should be swiftly brought to justice to deter future acts of terrorism. Traders also offered prayers for the deceased and for the speedy recovery of the injured.

The protesters said that the community’s unified stance sent a strong message of solidarity with the victims’ families and a call for national resolve against terrorism.

Himachal Tribune