Mysuru: Ten tourists from Mysuru, who were visiting Kashmir, returned home safely. They arrived in Bengaluru from Srinagar by flight on Thursday at 12.30 pm, and later that night, travelled to Mysuru by KSRTC bus.

Minister Santosh Lad played a key role in facilitating the safe return of several tourists, including those from Mysuru, to Karnataka.

Three families from Mysuru had embarked on a Kashmir trip on Apr. 17, with plans to return by Apr. 28. The group included Assistant Postmaster and a resident of Srirampura S. Vallish, his wife K.R. Sunitha, son Poornachandra Vallish, daughter S. Asha, her husband Hirish and their son Aditya Dixit; Vallish’s friend J. Prasad, his wife Lakshmi Prasad and their children Aditya Kashyap and Akshobya Kashyap.

However, their trip took a dramatic turn after the terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which changed the situation in the Kashmir Valley.

Though the group remained safe in Srinagar, they faced hurdles such as steep airfare hikes and the general atmosphere of fear, which delayed their return. Minister Santosh Lad intervened personally, meeting the Mysuru families late at night to reassure them and offer support for their safe journey back.

Speaking to Star of Mysore after reaching home, Assistant Postmaster Vallish expressed his gratitude to the Minister.

 “Minister Santosh Lad, along with security personnel, visited us and lifted our spirits. He arranged our travel back to Karnataka by flight. I don’t know whether the expenses were covered by him or the Government, but what became clear is that he’s a capable leader who genuinely cares. I sincerely thank him,” he said heaving a sigh of relief.

The group had been staying at the Triden Kashmir Resort in Srinagar. “We had just returned to the hotel from Sonamarg when news broke of the Pahalgam attack. Soon after, the military imposed strict security measures and instructed all tourists to remain in their rooms. Shops shut down voluntarily, and we were quarantined in our hotel room for two days,” they recounted.

They added that despite the tense situation, residents of Kashmir were kind and empathetic. “Whenever we stepped out, they gently requested us to stay indoors for our own safety. There had been no major issues in recent years, but this unfortunate incident disrupted tourism and left a deep impact on us.”

The hotel staff, they said, remained professional and courteous throughout. “They offered excellent hospitality and didn’t exploit the situation. Apart from being confined to our rooms, we didn’t face any other difficulties,” the group added.