The heinous terror strike in Pahalgam, Kashmir on Tuesday brought back chilling reminders of the region’s tumultuous past. The attack, which left around 28 dead, mostly tourists, marked one of the deadliest strikes since the tragic Pulwama attack in 2019. As families were shattered, the encroaching shadows of communalism and political manoeuvring lurked ominously over this tragedy.
The timing of this attack raises critical questions. Occurring during a key visit by US Vice-President JD Vance, and while Kashmir's vibrant tourist season was picking up pace, the assault reinforces a dark narrative of calculated terror. The strike suggests a strategic ploy aimed at not only derailing a fragile peace and stability that had tentatively settled over the region since its 2019 reconfiguration but also sending out a strong message against the Narendra Modi government.
Eyewitness accounts reveal the tragic patterns employed by the terrorists, who demanded religious recitations from specific victims, singling out individuals based on their community affiliations. This grotesque act suggests not only a disregard for life but a soul-crushing communal agenda. Pune businessman Santosh Jagdale who was murdered for an inability to recite an Islamic verse stands as a grim testament to the chilling reality of terror that picks targets based on religion. We heard of politicos leveraging their fortunes using the communal route, and now terrorists seem to be doing likewise.
Such communal undertones do not merely reflect the brutal motivations but they also have insidious implications for the broader societal fabric. Fostering an atmosphere of suspicion and fear, these attacks ultimately hurt innocent people and made them helpless targets. The question is, how would India respond?
The Indian government is already promising a formidable retribution against those responsible. However, precedent reminds us of the potential pitfalls: Following the Uri attack in 2016, New Delhi faced immense political pressure to respond aggressively. And yes, India did respond with what it called "surgical strikes". However, the hype that the Modi government created over the retaliation appeared to be a calculated bid to capitalise and score big on the electoral turf. Patriotism is the biggest sentiment. Such retaliation highlights a dangerous intertwining of national security with political optics. India has the right to respond, and it should. However, the targets have to be terrorism and terrorist groups. India cannot transform a matter of national security into a communal campaign against an entire demographic.
The chilling rhetoric from the Kashmir Resistance group — likening their attack to a fight against "outsiders" in the region — reveals an insidious ideology that can only foster greater division and violence. The response to this attack must deftly avoid inflaming communal tensions further; instead, the government should focus on dismantling the networks of individuals, regardless of their affiliations, who propagate terror and violence.
As families mourn the dead and people grieve in pain over the loss of their near and dear ones, the message that needs to go across is that terrorism, whether rooted in ideological fervour or political opportunism, should not be bound by faith, community, and any justification. The common people, regardless of their backgrounds, must not be caught in the crossfire of political aspirations or communal vendettas. Lasting peace in Kashmir can only be secured through empathy, adherence to justice, and a commitment to unyielding clarity that terrorism and communalism are the true foes of humanity.
