NYT calls Pahalgam attackers 'terrorists' after backlash but retains disputed Kashmir terminology
New Delhi: As India executed 'Operation Sindoor', a notable shift was observed in the editorial tone of prominent American daily The New York Times, which for the first time referred to the perpetrators of the Pahalgam massacre as "terrorists" in its headline -- a marked departure from its earlier usage of softer terms such as "militants" and "gunmen".
The front-page headline on the NYT website stated: "India Strikes Pakistan Two Weeks After Terrorist Attack in Kashmir," signalling a distinct editorial change that has come amid growing criticism over the paper's earlier coverage.
The Pahalgam attack, which occurred on April 22, left 26 people dead, including 25 Indian tourists and one Nepali citizen, when they were gunned down in cold blood in Jammu and Kashmir's Baisaran valley.
Despite the headline change, the NYT continued to use controversial terminology within the body of its report, referring to the region as "Indian-administered Kashmir" and "Indian-controlled side of Kashmir," thus failing to acknowledge Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India.
This aspect of the report continues to draw flak from Indian observers and diaspora groups who argue that such language echoes Pakistan's narrative on the region.
In its coverage of India's retaliatory military action, the paper reported: "India said it had struck Pakistan after gathering evidence 'pointing towards the clear involvement of Pakistan-based terrorists' in last month's attack on civilians."
It also highlighted India's emphasis that the response was "measured, responsible and designed to be non-escalatory in nature" and that "only known terror camps" were targeted during the overnight operation.
The newspaper's usage of the term "terrorist" in its headline gained widespread attention, particularly in view of the backlash it had received last month for its initial portrayal of the Pahalgam attackers.
At that time, critics slammed the NYT for describing the attackers merely as "militants" or "gunmen", with many pointing out that such descriptions significantly downplayed the brutality of the incident.
The backlash was amplified by a post on social media platform X from the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, which shared a screenshot of the original NYT headline, "At Least 24 Tourists Gunned Down by Militants in Kashmir," with the word "militants" crossed out and replaced with "terrorists" in bold red.
The Committee wrote, "Hey, @nytimes we fixed it for you. This was a TERRORIST ATTACK plain and simple. Whether it's India or Israel, when it comes to TERRORISM the NYT is removed from reality."
The framing of the Pahalgam attack as merely a "shooting" has also provoked sharp criticism from various quarters of the US government and Indian diplomatic channels, who argue that such terminology grossly understates the nature of the atrocity.
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