Luckily he was safe, yes. But all that he saw I'm sure was beyond traumatic. You can figure out a lot of the interview contents from the comment section.
youtu.be/4N4lyhQnUfQ?si=OviMix8hFRTK2E0K
Translated this video to English:
When I was doing the zip line, firing started. Around four to five rounds of firing took place. I was not aware of it for 20 seconds. I was enjoying myself while inside the zip line. Then I came to know that bullets were being fired. People were dying below. I saw that five or six people were shot. Then I came to know after around 20 seconds that there was a terrorist attack here. Only three of us had gone there, me, my family and my son. We had gone as individuals. We had not gone as part of any tour package.
On which date did you go? When did this incident happen?
I had left Ahmedabad on the 16th and I was in Pahalgam on the 22nd. This incident happened then.
What kind of incident?
For example, if I tell you, I had reached Pahalgam around 12:00 pm on the 12th. Then we went up on a horse. We went up. We enjoyed a bit. Took photographs, took videography. Then we started doing adventure. So we were doing the zip line. So first people did the zip line. Then my son did it. Then it was my turn. When I was doing the zip line, firing started. Around four to five bullets were fired. I was not aware for 20 seconds. I was enjoying myself inside the zip line. Then I came to know that bullets are being fired here. People are dying below. I saw five to six people have been shot. Then I came to know after around 20 seconds that there has been a terrorist attack here.
Well, one of your videos went viral. There is a guy here, Allahu Akbar. What did he say?
He said Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar three times and then firing started.
Then what happened?
Firing started again. We had gone down. When we went down, I already saw that the gentlemen in the two families that had gone before us were already shot in front of my wife and son after asking them about their religion, what is your religion? You are Hindu. They told me that those people had shot them immediately. My wife and son were shouting below. I went a little closer. I took off my belt and jumped. I immediately started running away from there taking my wife and daughter with me. Then we saw that people were hiding at a spot and it was like a pit and you can't see it easily. So two-three people were already hiding there so we also went there and hid. The firing reduced a little. After 8-10 minutes we again started running towards the main gate. And a lot of people were running. Everyone was running. When we were running there also firing happened again and four-five people were shot there too. In total about 15-16 tourists were shot in front of us at that time and when we reached the main gate we saw that the local public had already left. Then there was a brother of ours who was riding horses. He took us along and we also found the Indian Army in front of us. So the Indian Army also covered all of us tourists.
What kind of work does the Indian Army do?
Because people allege that it is not the Indian Army, but the Indian Armies, let me tell you, they had covered the whole area within around 20 to 25 minutes and where we were going there were around 150 people in the Army, both gents and ladies, and they had covered all the tourists within around 80 to 20 minutes because I was continuously talking to my brother in Gujarat, I made the first call to him and then made the second call to tell him that the Army has come and has covered us. The distance between the two was 18 minutes in the conversation between my two brothers.
How in the Indian Army, first the terrorists and then the Indian Army covered the entire area. So how did you feel?
At first we were completely scared. But when the Army came and they covered us. Then we started feeling a little safe because those people handled us very well, as much as we were scared, that we will not do anything to you because the person who was from the army was firing inside, so many women were scared after seeing them that these people are not from the army. So first of all those people convinced the public that we are army. We will not let anything happen to you. Then they slowly covered us and took us down and the rest of the battalion started going to the main spot.
When you were on top, it means you were told in a way that how was the experience of facing death?
What kind of kiss did I tell at that time, then I cannot even explain exactly what situation I was in because I had my wife with me. I also had my son. All the priority was towards them first that they have to take me away. So then I started running away with them. I got the network. I had a conversation. Here my friend is in the army. I had a conversation with him. They gave me two-three instructions that do not trust any normal Kashmiri local person. Do not enter any Kashmiri house inside the forest and you have only one option, you have to run straight to the parking. So, following their guidelines, we were running in the parking lot and started going straight to the parking.
Again, what kind of attitude did the army have? What kind of suspicion? What will you say about the Indian Army?
I will be grateful for the Indian Army because they had immediately covered the tourist. And secondly, if you see, they had arranged so many vehicles, ambulances etc. in half an hour and covered the entire spot within 30 minutes. And above also, they had covered the entire main spot. You can see you and your family with your own eyes. Yes. I am telling you.
