The pristine meadow in Baisaran valley takes a slight stretch for tourists to reach. It is about 5 km from Pahalgam. There is a dusty path to this ‘mini Switzerland’ and it is inaccessible by car. Many walk. And some families — especially those with happy, raucous children — trot to this nature’s lawn surrounded by forests on ponies. The tiny trek and the resultant treasure give tourists a taste of Frodo Baggins’ adventure.

It is in this off-the-beaten-track Baisaran that Islamic terrorists struck on Tuesday, slaughtering 26 people, the majority of them Hindus.

Even in Kashmir, where gun-toting commandos are everywhere, it takes security forces about 20 minutes to reach. So, before they could arrive, the terrorists looked at men’s ID cards, pulled down their pants to check for circumcision, or asked if they could recite the Islamic kalma before shooting them point blank.

The nation is not just outraged, it is enraged. But in particular, the urban, educated middle and affluent class is most shaken. Their infamous inertness to grave tragedy seems shattered, at least for the........

© News18