On April 22, thousands of tourists were enjoying their lives along with their partners and families in the beautiful meadows of Baisaran valley in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Little did these people know that their moment in paradise would soon take a nightmarish turn as a group of monsters would storm in to carry out the biggest assault targeting Indian civilians since the deadly 26/11 in Mumbai. The terrorists rounded up the people, asked them to read ‘Kalma’ (Islamic verses) and pulled down their pants to check for circumcision (a common practice among Muslims) to identify who all were Hindus and Muslims. After rounding up the  Hindus, they mercilessly opened fire on over 40 men (at least 28 dead), hunting them down from tents or vehicles, and left the women, asking them to take the story of these cold-blooded murders to the country.

For me, this episode was personally very shocking and painful, as I went to Kashmir for a solo trip just weeks before the incident and was EXACTLY at the spot of the attack 20 days back. So, it is with a very heavy heart that I write this blog on the Pahalgam terror attack, and the many layers attached to it.

Timing and Impact of the Attack

Now, it has been a known fact how our disparaged neighbour in the West harbours terror outfits to carry out the proxy war against India. But the sheer timing of this heinous attack has many layers to it. The last major attack in Jammu-Kashmir was the Pulwama in 2019, but there were n number of small firings and attacks almost on a regular basis (rampage of attacks in Jammu from June-August 2024), where the terrorists engaged with India’s security forces and resulting in casualties from both sides. But this attack in Pahalgam specifically targeted civilians, a rarity as per recent trends. The reason for that is prosperity in Kashmir and Pakistan’s ascent towards a ‘failed state’.

Talking about the first aspect. Kashmir has had a long history of militancy and violence. The radicalism and separatism fuelled by Pakistan peaked in the 1990s, which saw the tragic exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. All these years, Pakistan and its proxies used the unemployed and dissatisfied youth of Kashmir to peddle their rhetoric and terror in the region. But, once India took the firm stand against terrorism, a lot of credit for which goes to the revocation of Article 370, it helped New Delhi to crack down hard against separatism and establish a decisive control over the law and order in the erstwhile state.

On expected lines, this also resulted in a huge boost in tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, especially the latter part of it. The number, which hovered somewhere below 1 crore before 2019, now started crossing 2.5-3 crores in 2023-24. This massive jump also led to more footfall in the shops, hotels, and other tourist hotspots, leading to increased revenue for the Kashmiri households, the majority of whom depend on tourism. This rise in prosperity meant that fewer people were interested in Pakistan’s idea of ‘Jihad’ in Kashmir. Now this doesn’t mean that EVERYTHING was absolutely well in Kashmir. The youth unemployment, curbs on freedom of speech, and the inclination towards Pakistan in at least SOME locals were always a challenge. But broadly, an average Kashmiri was more concerned with a peaceful and tourism-friendly Kashmir than an anarchic one resembling that of the 90s. So, time was running out for the Pak-backed groups to do something big, or else they would have lost even the remaining sleeper cells and Over Ground Workers they had in Kashmir.

Now, coming to the second aspect of the episode. Just a week before the attack, Pak Army Chief Asim Munir cried an extremely toxic and hateful rant, calling the Kashmir issue Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and reiterated the ‘two-nation theory’. Calling Pakistan the “only country” to have formed on the basis of religion, he further spewed words echoing those of his predecessors from the pre-partition era, “Hindus and Muslims are two entirely different civilisations and can’t live together”. Just for everyone’s knowledge, to have a complete idea of his ideology, Munir is a staunch Islamist brought up in a complete Islamic training since his education days.

Why all of this matters today is because Pakistan is currently in a dire state, politically, socially and economically. Even before the previous tranche of bailout runs out, Islamaad is forced to approach the IMF with its bowl, begging for another. Country’s tallest leader, Imran Khan, is in jail despite winning a popular mandate from the country’s ‘awaam’. And, the army, which claims to be the custodian of the whole country, is extremely unpopular as it has failed to solve the long-standing issues in Balochistan, and prevent repeated terror attacks from the separatist groups (the most recent and brutal being the Jaffar train hijack where dozens of passengers were killed by Baloch separatists). So, at this juncture, the only great diversion for Munir was to carry out a massive terror attack in a Kashmir that was prospering, and put the whole country’s focus towards a possible retaliation from India.

Visual from the Baisaran valley in Pahalgam after the attack (Photo: AP)

What do we know about the Attack?

Hours after the attack, terror organisation The Resistance Front (TRF) — considered a proxy of the infamous Lashkar outfit — claimed responsibility for the attack, only to back out of their claim, after it seemed certain that India will retaliate hard. now, it’s a no-brainer that someone with complete knowledge and support of Pakistan was involved in this heinous attack. The attack carried out by 4-7 terrorists (official number still not confirmed) comprised some of the dreaded terrorists from TRF, and some old residents of Kashmir, who went to Pakistan for training with these terror outfits. Hashim Musa, considered to be the mastermind of the attack, was reportedly a soldier in the Pakistan Army before he was assigned the task with the TRF.

According to the security forces, this group of terrorists was in Kashmir for quite some months and was also behind several other attacks against the Indian security forces. Also, the terrorists are still hiding somewhere in Kashmir, and despite being noticed by the forces a few times, have somehow managed to escape. The security experts believe these terrorists don’t even aim to escape, as their aim is to keep on carrying out such attacks. Another pertinent point is that these terrorists couldn’t have managed to carry out this attack and keep hiding for this long without the help of some locals there. So, while the forces hunt for these rascals, those traitors aiding them also need to be pulled out of their nests.

PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting after the Pahalgam attack (Photo: ndtv)

Assault on India’s social fabric

One thing everyone should keep in mind, this was not just any other attack. This whole episode was meticulously planned to specifically target the Hindus by the Islamists, so as to fuel an extreme form of hatred in the Hindu-majority India. With the Pahalgam massacre, Pakistan wanted to disrupt all the communal and social harmony in India, which never existed in their own country.

And sadly, a bunch of idiots in our country (in huge numbers) are doing just what Pakistan wanted from them: assaulting, abusing, and targeting Indian Muslims and Kashmiris. Dozens of cases have come to light, where either someone was refusing to purchase products from a Muslim’s shop, or cancelling the cab/order, after realising the driver/delivery partner is a Muslim. Even worse was what was inflicted upon the Kashmiris, who were targeted in their hostels, rented accommodations just after this incident. If all of this was not enough, the trolls and right-wing IT cell even abused the wife of Lt Vijay Narwal (one of the victims of that attack), just because she urged for peace and asked people not to target Kashmiris and Muslims.

On a personal level too, this Pahalgam episode revealed the true faces of many people in my circle, whom I considered were secular, liberal and simply good people. When I saw them unleashing a barrage of hateful posts targeting Muslims, I was clear whom to snap ties with. I would like to point out something to all of them: if the terrorists who brutally killed those tourists were Muslims, so was Adil Hussain, who tried to snatch the gun from a terrorist and was killed himself. If those who stripped pants and forced people to recite ‘kalma’ were Muslims, so were all those who rescued the remaining tourists and brought them safely down the hill, and also those who operated upon the injured in that violence. And, if you cannot see this, then you are nothing but a hateful stooge and a blot on this country.

I would like to make something very clear. The terrorists who carried out the massacre in Pahalgam were not representative of the Muslims as a whole, and NO Indian Muslim owes any apology or proof of patriotism for what those monsters carried out. We need to understand that Pakistan wanted to fuel tensions, not just at the border but also within the country, and now, it is our choice whether we will let Pakistan succeed in its intentions or not.

It’s the first time that whole Kashmir has united against terrorism (Photo: The Hindu)

The Kashmir Problem

Another thing that Pakistan and its proxies aimed to disrupt was the normalcy in Kashmir, for the reasons I explained above. They wanted to instil a fear among the tourists, especially the Hindu tourists, from travelling to Kashmir, making the paradise an unattractive and feared destination for tourists. And on expected lines, just after the attack, tourist bookings were cancelled in huge numbers, and many who were already in Kashmir started returning.

Now, it is easy to say that by not going to Kashmir as tourists, we are helping Pakistan succeed, but after looking at the bone-chilling visuals from Pahalgam, can you really blame anyone if they make a choice to not visit there? To be honest, despite how much I loved my first trip there, I too, am sceptical whether I will ever make a second round there.

And, the Kashmiris will also need to understand that if they expect an open heart from the country, they too need to open up their minds a it. A few months ago, several local politicians and even journalists were alleging a ‘cultural invasion’ with tourists drinking alcohol there (there is no liquor ban in Kashmir). Some even raised objections to the settlement of non-Muslims in the valley, calling it a move to change the demography. My only question is, isn’t Kashmir a part of India? Then why should there be any objection to people coming, residing, or doing anything there, just like any other part of the country? The sooner such conservative brains open up, the better it is for everyone.

On this very line, Pakistan also intended to further alienate Kashmir from the mainstream country. Just six months ago, assembly elections (first since Article 370 abrogation) were held in J-K, and a popular government under Omar Abdullah came to power. Talks were on for full statehood. But this attack has almost ruined all of it, at least delayed it for sure. The stupid Indian media has already started putting the blame on the J-K government, instead of demanding accountability from the BJP-led Centre, which essentially controls the law and order and police in the erstwhile state.

We all know the past of Kashmir, and we can’t change it. Your best bet is to move forward, taking all Kashmiris along. Yes, there are some Pakistan sleeper cells hidden among them, and you have to hunt them. But that is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE without having the popular support of the Kashmiris. The very terrain of J-K, comprising mountains and dense forests, demands a strong and active support of the locals in maintaining control in the region.

The government has to make sure that the rights of Kashmiris are not suppressed, and they are not made to feel alienated. The moves of bulldozing dozens of houses of ‘suspects’ and any instilling of fear will only hurt our cause, when perhaps for the first time, the whole of Kashmir has stood united against Pakistan-backed terrorism.

What has been and should be India’s response?

When the horrific incident happened, Prime Minister Modi was on a visit to Saudi Arabia, and US Vice President JD Vance was on a visit to India. After receiving the information, PM Modi cut short his trip and returned to India. Since then, he has held many high-level meetings with the head of security forces and senior ministers.

Just following these meetings, India took a number of diplomatic steps to cripple Pakistan: Putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance (cripple it for water), closing the Attari-Wagah order, cutting all trade ties, suspending all mail exchanges, and closing its airspace and maritime ports for Pakistan. Though all these steps have been reciprocated by Pakistan too in a tit-for-tat move, if you are intelligent enough, you know who will have to bear the greater economic burden of these steps. Yes, suspending the Indus Water Treaty won’t suddenly stop the water flowing into Pakistan, but at least it has given India a strong negotiating leverage. And, despite how much Pakistan cries about the World Bank and third parties, India, with the clout it has globally, will be able to bypass all these hurdles.

On the military front, too, something has been cooking for the past few days, and the situation demands such a strong and ruthless response that it sends shivers down the spine of those spineless behind this heinous attack. Yes, I know, many want India to launch an all-out war, but that is always easier said than done. Not that India can’t crush its western neighbour one more time, but in my opinion, it won’t make any sense. Instead of going that hard against an already failed state, we should aim at cripling it from all sides, isolating it globally, and use the internal unrest and cracks there to inflict a wound that its seven generations can’t repair.

Regarding the future with Pakistan, I won’t shy away from saying that I have always been an advocate of peace and friendship. I have regularly voiced for playing cricket with them, and even allowing their artists to work and perform here. But, all this ‘Aman Ki Asha’ is a two-way thing. It is a fact that the failed state of Pakistan is completely under the control of its Army, whose whole life revolves around hatred with India. So, yes, I don’t have anything against the ‘awaam’ there, but I just don’t see our ties getting any better from this stage. So any friendship, cricket or art can’t come ahead of my country’s national security, so let it be. The whole country is united behind our forces for a decisive response against the failed state of terror.

JAI HIND