NEW DELHI: The string of civilian killings in October appears to have failed to dampen the spirit of travellers to Kashmir, with 1.27 lakh tourist arrivals recorded in the Valley in the month of November. The tourist arrivals for last month not only surpassed the figure for earlier months of this year but were also the highest for November in the last seven years, according to J&K government officials.
According to figures shared by J&K government sources, tourist arrivals into Kashmir in November 2021 were way higher than the 6,327 arrivals recorded in 2020 and 12,086 in 2019. The figure this November was even higher than the figure for the same month prior to abrogation of Article 370, with 33,720 tourist arrivals having been recorded in the Valley in 2018, 1.12 lakh in 2017, 23,569 in 2016 and 64,778 in 2015.
Civilian killings in Kashmir in the month of October, mostly targeting the minority communities like Kashmiri Hindus, Sikhs and migrants, had led to major security rejig, with CRPF and BSF reinforcements called in to aid the J&K police in law and order duties. The presence of the forces around civilian neighbourhoods in Srinagar was stepped up, more nakas set up and the checking of vehicles and frisking of civilians intensified.