Pune

“It’s one person’s mistake and the entire Kashmir will get punished for it. This (Pahalgam terrorist strike) is a crime against humanity. It has not only brought dishonour to us (Kashmiris), but also taken away our jobs.” Adil, a taxi driver from Pahalgam in South Kashmir, told a family from Pune after moving them to safety of his house on that ill-fated day.

Adil is the same man who, without caring for his own life, saved a family of  Pune, Maharashtra, from gunfire during the attack on April 22,2005 at Baisaran, Pahalgam.

He took them to his home, gave them safe shelter and fed them.

This video has been shared by Rupali Thombre, the leader of the Congress Ajit Pawar party in Pune city, on her social media handle.

In this video, the family is sincerely praising Adil's bravery and humanity.

Rupali Thombre is saying, “This is Adil Bhai. This taxi driver took us to his home. He gave us food, kept us safe. He has been reassuring us since morning, telling us not to be afraid.”

In this video, Adil says, “This one incident has brought the entire Kashmir Valley into disrepute. Kashmir’s economy, our tourism industry, everything has been destroyed. From street vendors to big hotels, everyone is going to suffer.”

He adds, “Innocent children had come for a walk with their families. How did they know that something like this would happen to them? Now this will affect the entire Kashmir. Our employment has gone, our business has gone. We are completely against this.”

There is an atmosphere of grief and anger in the Kashmir Valley after this terrorist attack. The Islamic community in Kashmir strongly condemned the attack and called for a peaceful shutdown. Citizens and religious organizations took to the streets in many parts of the country, including Mumbai, to express their protest.

After this incident, the central government announced strict and punitive steps against Pakistan. Security forces have been alerted and vigilance has been increased along the Line of Control.

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Even though terrorism has shattered the peace in the Kashmir Valley, people like Adil prove that humanity is still alive. Kashmir is in pain today, but hope also remains because of the humanity of our people.