Meadows of Jesus Reopens, But Livelihoods Still Await Full Revival

Last year, in the aftermath of a tourist attack on innocent tourists in the beautiful meadows of Pahalgam, which was quite a shocker for the people not only in the valley but also across the world, the authorities decided to close some tourist destinations in the valley. One of the destinations that was closed after this brutal attack by some unknown terrorists was Yousmarg, which is just at a short distance from our place and is one of the main sources of livelihood and recreation for the local population.

More important than anything else, it creates opportunities for earning a livelihood and is quite a source of income for our area. As our area is quite hilly and we have very limited resources for earning a livelihood, Yousmarg has turned out to be one of the basic hubs from where a lot of people earn money to support their families. Around it live tribal people who are mainly engaged in rearing animals like sheep and are involved in livestock activities, and they also offer pony rides to tourists, which becomes a considerable way of earning their livelihood.

Only after the closure of this place did people start going through a crisis for the past one and a half years. They have been searching for means of livelihood, and the non-availability of such means has compelled people to move across different parts of the valley in search of work. Last year, I got a chance to conduct a survey in one of the rural areas connected to the Yousmarg area. I came to know about the hardships that people were facing, and I could hear them complaining about the closure of this place and the issues they were facing because of it.

The reason for the closure of these tourist places was security concerns. Now that Yousmarg has been opened for tourist movement, people seem to be quite happy about it. However, it has not been fully opened, as there are still some restrictions put in place by the government for security reasons. People are allowed to visit only during the daytime, and that too with restricted movement.

People seem to be quite relieved, but they are still not fully satisfied and want the place to be completely opened for tourists so that people can stay there at night and move freely. This would allow pony riders, shopkeepers, and others involved in related businesses to earn their livelihood with maximum opportunities.

Just a few days ago, I had the experience of going there as my uncle was retiring and the department had organized a function. There, I got to meet some shopkeepers whom I already knew. I stayed with them for some time and got to know how they felt about the decision to reopen this place for tourist movement, and what I have stated above is what they shared with me.