Pahalgam: It was April 22, 2025. Amid the tranquil, lush green meadows of Baisaran near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, two ‘Adils’ stood at diametrically opposite ends. They shared the same name, yet their paths were entirely divergent.
One had chosen the path of terror, gun in hand. The other, unarmed, strove to save lives, relying solely on the strength of his courage and humanity — and in that very endeavour, he sacrificed his own life. One year has now passed since this incident. Time has moved on. As we look back at this attack a year later, two faces bearing the same name emerge vividly before us: ‘Adil’.
Behind this single name lie two starkly contrasting realities—one of darkness, the other of humanity. There was the terrorist, Adil Hussain Thoker, who took up arms and chose the path of destruction; and then there was the other, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a humble pony-ride operator from Pahalgam—who, with selfless courage, laid down his own life in an attempt to save the lives of others.
Adil was identified by the police as the prime suspect in the Pahalgam terrorist attack—a key accused linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the alleged mastermind behind the assault. Meanwhile, 28-year-old Syed Adil Hussain Shah lost his life in this horrible attack. This young man, who guided tourists through the mountains and valleys, was the sole breadwinner for his family. When the gunfire erupted, he had the option to flee to save his own life; however, he chose not to do so.
On that day, he had taken a group of tourists for a horseback ride in the Baisaran Valley. Suddenly, terrorists launched an attack and opened fire, indiscriminately shooting unarmed tourists. In that moment, Adil attempted to snatch a weapon from one of the terrorists in an effort to save the lives of those innocent tourists. However, the terrorists shot him. Adil was the only local Kashmiri among the 26 people who lost their lives in this attack; the rest were tourists. This martyr, Adil Shah, had a dream of building his own new home.
After the attack, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had promised Adil’s family to construct a house for them in the village of Haptanar, near Pahalgam.
Now a year on, Adil’s family has been given possession of the house. Maharashtra Minister of State for Social Justice Sanjay Shirshat and Minister of State for Home Affairs Yogesh Kadam were present on this occasion. Additionally, Shinde interacted with Adil Shah’s family members through a video call. His family appreciated Shinde’s intervention and thanked him and Bajirao Chavan, an office-bearer of Yuva Sena for their regular follow-up.
Shinde said, “In Pahalgam, Hindus were singled out and killed by terrorists — an act that constituted the murder of humanity itself. Yet, this brave Adil fought against the terrorists in an effort to save the tourists. Losing a son is tough. He is a mother’s darling and a father’s pillar of support. However, the Shiv Sena will always stand by Adil since his sacrifice is truly inspiring. Not everyone possesses the capacity to demonstrate such humanity as Adil.”
Overcome by memories of Adil, his parents could not hold back their tears. Speaking to ETV Bharat, Adil’s father, Saeed Haider Shah, said, “A great deal has changed over the past year, and yet, Adil’s mother cannot stop crying. Her health has been severely affected since Adil was our pillar of strength. He will always be missed.”
His parents said that Adil would work extremely hard to fulfil his dreams to build a family home. They shared, in fact, that after Adil’s death, they never thought his dream would be fulfilled. Shah said, “Eknath Shinde has offered us immense moral support since Adil’s death. He stood firmly by our side. I am grateful to him for building this house for us.”
Adil’s home has been named after former Shiv Sena leader and Eknath Shinde’s mentor late Anand Dighe; the residence bears the name ‘Anand Nath Sadan.’
Background
On April 22, 2025, Adil told his parents that he was not feeling unwell while out at work, and he wished to return home early. He wanted to take the next day off. However, he was tragically killed in the terror attack, and it remains unclear who exactly attacked him. He was shot while he attempted to snatch a firearm from the shooters. Adil’s family members said that three of the bullets struck his chest, while one hit his throat. After his death, hundreds of citizens attended his funeral. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was also present and assured the family of assistance.
