Shivamogga: What was meant to be a peaceful family holiday in the Kashmir valley turned into a living nightmare — and a haunting message from the mouth of terror has now travelled over 2,500 kilometres to a tear-stricken home in Shivamogga.
Pallavi Rao, who saw her husband gunned down in front of her eyes, was spared only to deliver a bloodstained message to the Prime Minister: "Tell (Narendra) Modi what you saw."
In one cruel moment, a family's joy was turned into mourning, and a mother’s scream was silenced by the unbearable burden of survival.
Pallavi, a resident of Shivamogga, had been vacationing in the picturesque town of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir with her husband, Manjunath Rao (47), and their son Abhijaya, when gunmen believed to be militants ambushed a group of tourists on Tuesday afternoon. The terrorists opened fire indiscriminately, sending panic and bloodshed across the once-peaceful landscape.
Manjunath, a respected businessman from Vijayanagar in Shivamogga, was killed on the spot. His wife and son watched in horror as the idyllic trip turned into a scene of carnage.
Speaking to reporters after returning to Karnataka, Pallavi recounted the final moments. "I begged them to shoot me too," she said, struggling to hold back tears. "But one of them looked at me and said, 'No. You stay alive. Tell Modi what happened here.'"
The symbolic cruelty of the statement has stunned the nation, drawing strong reactions from political leaders and the public alike. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed it a “heinous act of terror against innocent civilians” and announced that two state-level teams — one comprising senior administrative officers and the other from the police — have been dispatched to Jammu and Kashmir to coordinate with authorities and ensure support for victims and survivors.
While the identity of the attackers is yet to be confirmed, officials have not ruled out the possibility that the assault was deliberately aimed at targeting non-local tourists to create fear and instability in the region.
Back home in Shivamogga, the Vijayanagar locality is wrapped in grief. Neighbours, friends, and extended family have been visiting the Rao residence in a steady stream, trying to offer support that words can barely convey. Amid the mourning, the family faces another painful dilemma — Manjunath’s elderly mother has not yet been informed of his death.
"She is not in good health," said a family member. "We are terrified of how she’ll react if she finds out. For now, we are just telling her that he has extended his trip."
The Karnataka government has assured all necessary assistance to the bereaved family, including arrangements for transporting the body, psychological counselling and financial support.
"The Government of Karnataka stands firmly with those affected," Siddaramaiah said. "We will do everything in our power to bring the perpetrators to justice."
Meanwhile, the Rao family is left to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives.
