'I don't know when people will realise that Srinagar is not unsafe.'

Shabina Khan, who works at a hotel here, wants to hardsell the return of peace. She wants to forget the insurgency, which she says is a thing of the past.

'The situation is different and tourists have nothing to fear,' she said, inviting visitors from all over the world.

Tariq Ahmed, who sells dry fruits in a market close to Dal Lake, boasts of Kashmiri hospitality. 'The violence has not changed the behaviour of Kashmiris and Kashmir is thus largely safe for tourists.'

'Aren't there shootings and blasts in cities like Delhi and Mumbai' where vacationers never hesitate to visit, asked Abdur Rahman, a jeweller here, who also has a shop in Goa.

'For other cities it is crime and for Kashmir it is terrorism,' he said. 'No one brands them unsafe. But for them Srinagar is a dangerous place. Ask people here and they will tell you how safe the place is.'

(Ruchika Kher can be contacted at ruchika.k@ians.in)