Remembering Ramachandran: One year since Pahalgam terror attack

KOCHI: On April 22nd, a date etched in the memory of many families, a year will have passed since a peaceful meadow in Kashmir turned into a site of unimaginable horror. For Arathi R. Menon, the beauty of Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley is now forever stained by the moment she watched her father, N. Ramachandran, lose his life to a terrorist's bullet.

"Lie down, Father"

The afternoon began as a serene family excursion. Ramachandran, a 65-year-old expatriate from Kochi, was enjoying the mountain air with his daughter, Arathi, and her eight-year-old twin sons. The peace was shattered by the sudden crack of gunfire and the appearance of armed militants.

Sensing the immediate danger, Arathi’s instincts took over. "I think it’s a terrorist attack, Father. Lie down on the floor," she whispered, shielding her children with her own body on the forest floor.

The confrontation that followed was cold and brief. A gunman approached Ramachandran, pointing a weapon at his head and demanding he recite the Kalima. When the confused 65-year-old replied that he did not understand, the gunman fired without hesitation. As Arathi cradled her father’s still body, the attacker callously tapped her on the head with the barrel of his gun before walking past, as if her grief were a mere obstacle in his path.

Flight through the pines

What followed was a desperate scramble for survival. Carrying her two crying sons, Arathi ran aimlessly through the dense pine forests of Pahalgam, the sound of pursuing gunfire echoing behind them.

In the chaos, she managed to reach for her phone and call the person who had become their only lifeline in the valley: their taxi driver, Mohammed Musafir. Risking his own safety, Musafir rushed to their location, navigating the danger to rescue the family and spirit them away from the meadow.

Even upon reaching the safety of their hotel, Arathi’s strength remained ironclad for the sake of her mother. To shield her from the immediate trauma, Arathi initially claimed her father had only met with a "minor accident," holding her composure until the reality could no longer be contained.

Legacy of strength

Today, Arathi is back in her hometown of Edappally, Kochi, after leaving Dubai. Though the trauma remains, she finds solace in the lessons her father left behind.

"I believe my father is still with me in this house," Arathi says. "He always told me not to be sad about the past, but to be happy for tomorrow. I want his memories to teach my children how to act with awareness. He was the one who taught them to ride a bicycle and play chess."

While the formal Shraddha rituals will take place in May according to the Malayalam calendar, the community will gather on April 22nd to honour Ramachandran’s memory. A floral tribute is planned in Devankulangara, followed by a memorial service at Changampuzha Park on the 26th.

An unbreakable bond

The tragedy also forged a bond across borders. In Pahalgam, Mohammed Musafir still checks in on the family he saved. Though high travel expenses have kept him from visiting Kerala, his heart remains with them.

"I want to come to Kerala and meet them," Musafir said via telephone. To Arathi, he wasn't just a driver; he was the "brother" who stood by her when the world fell apart.

A year later, the wounds of Pahalgam are still open, but the story of Ramachandran's family is no longer just one of a terrorist attack—it is a story of a daughter's resilience and the enduring kindness of a stranger.