- Syed Adil Hussain Shah was killed trying to disarm a terrorist in Pahalgam attack last year
- His family received compensation, a house, jobs, and financial aid from government authorities
- Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir suffered initially but gradually returned to normal after the attack
As gunshots rang through the serene Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 last year, all present there ran towards safety, except one - Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a pony rider who tried to snatch a terrorist's rifle and was shot dead.
A year later, Syed Adil Hussain Shah's family has received monetary compensation, a house, a permanent government job and other attempts of rehabilitation after they lost their sole breadwinner. "No matter what we gain, he will not return... and my heart will never find peace," his father Syed Haider Shah told NDTV.
A proud father, Syed Haider Shah remembers how when the three terrorists went on a rampage through the tourist hotspot and gunned down 25 people who failed to recite an Islamic verse, his son stood out as the epitome of humanity. The humble horse rider, who ferried tourists from the car parking to the meadow otherwise reachable only by foot, grabbed a terrorists's rifle. His action aimed at saving the life of the tourist on his horse and to provide a chance to others to safely evacuate. Moments later, he was shot dead.
"Adil did not stop to consider the religion or caste of the people he was saving. He prioritised humanity above all else and laid down his own life to save the lives of others. He did not distinguish between Hindu, Muslim or Sikh, he saw only human beings and upheld the true spirit of humanity," his father said.
A year later, his family tears up on thinking of their Syed Adil Hussain Shah. His photographs adorn the walls of their home. He was the eldest child and backbone of the household. His father said that he shouldered the responsibility for every chore and lived his life with a perpetual smile and cheerful demeanor.
During the loss, Syed Haider Shah said, a house was promised to the family by Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, which was later fulfilled. The government of Jammu and Kashmir offered a permanent government job to Syed Adil Hussain Shah's wife, apart from a financial assistance of about Rs 5 lakh. Adil's younger brother was given a job at the Waqf Board.
After the april 22, 2025 attack, what followed was one of the most coordinated and sustained counter-terror operations in recent times. Swift intelligence fusion through human intelligence (HUMINT), technical inputs (TECHINT), and survivor-based identification led to the confirmation of the perpetrators as Sulaiman Shah, Hamza Afgani and Jibran Bhai of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Tourism was hit in the region after the attack and inched back to normal many months later. Aside from heightened surveillance, the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir introduced a unique QR code-based identification system for all tourism service providers for the safety of tourists. The system enabled easy identification and verification of genuine and registered service providers, including pony-ride operators, hawkers, business establishments, as well as outside vendors.
