Newspapers in Kashmir on Wednesday printed their front pages black in protest against heinous terrorist attack that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead in the Pahalgam hill resort on Tuesday.
The striking act of protest by the newspapers, each bearing powerful headlines in white or red, was a powerful public display of solidarity and grief felt by the residents and the media over the inhuman act.
The change in format by leading English and Urdu dailies, including Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Uzma, Aftab and Taimeel Irshad, serves as a stark reminder of the violence that has plagued the region for decades, media in Kashmir observed.
“Gruesome: Kashmir Gutted, Kashmiris Grieving”, says the headline of leading English daily Greater Kashmir in white on a black layout, followed by the subhead “26 killed in deadly terror attack in Pahalgam” in red.
The paper’s front-page editorial with the headline “The massacre in the meadow – Protect Kashmir’s soul” said the attack has cast a dark shadow over J-K.
“This heinous act is not merely an assault on innocent lives but a deliberate blow to Kashmir’s identity and values — its hospitality, its economy, and its fragile peace,” the editorial said.
Highlighting the fact that terrorists could strike a high-traffic tourist spot, accessible only by foot or pony, signals a need for sharper intelligence and tighter coordination among agencies, the paper called for proactive measures — enhanced vigilance, community engagement, and uprooting terrorism — which are imperative to prevent such horrors from recurring.
Kashmir’s people have endured violence for too long, yet their spirit remains unbroken. This attack must not sow division but unite us in defiance of terror. We urge all — government, security forces, civil society, and citizens — to forge a collective front.