The Blood-Stained Silence: Targeted Killings And The Constitutional Conscience Of India

News18

25-04-2025

Last Updated:
This was not a general act of terror. It was deliberate communal targeting
धर्म एव हतो हन्ति धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः।
तस्माद्धर्मो न हन्तव्यो मा नो धर्मो हतोऽवधीत्॥
Dharma: Our shared moral foundation translates not only into personal conduct but into public policy and law. It is visible in our Constitution, in our criminal codes, and above all, in the State's duty to protect life. But when citizens are targeted and killed purely for their religious identity, it becomes even more important to ask: who is upholding dharma?
A MASSACRE WITH INTENT
On April 22, 2025, Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley witnessed one of the worst civilian massacres in recent years. 26 people were gunned down by terrorists from The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot. According to survivors, the victims were asked their names and caste before being executed. This included Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, a 26-year-old Indian Navy officer on leave.
This was not a general act of terror. It was deliberate communal targeting.
What deepens the tragedy is the geopolitical context. The attack coincided with US Vice President JD Vance's visit to India and Prime Minister Modi's diplomatic trip to Saudi Arabia. In fact, the first quarter of 2025 had seen over half a million tourists visiting Kashmir, a sign of increasing stability in the region. This massacre was intended to disrupt that progress.
Under India's Constitution, states handle 'public order" (State List, Seventh Schedule), but Jammu and Kashmir, as a Union Territory post the 2019 Reorganisation Act, is different. The Central government, through the Lieutenant Governor, calls the shots on law and order, including the J&K Police. Agencies like IB and R&AW answer only to the Union, not the elected National Conference-led UT government.
Still, the UT administration isn't off the hook. It oversees tourism and local governance, which tie into security, like ensuring safe tourist spots or sharing community insights with central forces.
The fingerprints of Pakistan's ISI were unmistakable. Just days before the attack, Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir delivered a venomous speech branding Kashmir as Pakistan's 'jugular vein" and invoking anti-Hindu bigotry. The attackers included two Pakistani nationals trained by SSG commandos, armed with M4 carbines, AK-47s, and body cameras to record their brutality.
The ideological groundwork for such attacks is often laid domestically. Politicians like Srinagar MP Aga Ruhallah, who described J&K's tourism growth as a 'cultural invasion," provide ideological justification for terror groups who view India's developmental push as an existential threat to Kashmiri identity.
But the greatest danger lies in what we refuse to acknowledge—the existence of Over-Ground Workers (OGWs) and White-Collar Terrorists (WCTs) within our own institutions. OGWs assist terrorists with logistics, safehouses, and surveillance, while WCTs, embedded in bureaucracies, media, or academia, enable radicalisation, funding, and the spread of separatist propaganda.
This internal subversion is a constitutional threat. It erodes our right to life (Article 21), undermines equality before law (Article 14), and breeds institutional bias that violates Article 15's guarantee against discrimination.
How did such an operation occur in a high-security tourist zone? How were terrorists able to reach Baisaran Valley with such firepower? The sophistication of this attack, the jungle warfare strategy, body camera propaganda, and choice of timing reflects a dramatic shift in terrorist tactics.
The Union government's response, deployment of additional CRPF units, and establishment of Rashtriya Rifles camps in Pir Panjal is a necessary step. But reactive measures are not enough. India must invest in AI-driven surveillance, thermal imaging fencing across the LoC, and real-time counter-infiltration protocols.
GLOBAL RESPONSE, DOMESTIC RESPONSIBILITY
Prime Minister Modi cut short his Saudi visit to return and lead a high-level security review with the NSA, MEA, and intelligence chiefs. Home Minister Amit Shah visited the attack site personally. Nations including the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Belgium, UK, and Iran expressed solidarity.
Yet condemnation is not justice. Like 26/11 and Pulwama, this attack proves that Pakistan continues to sponsor cross-border terrorism in violation of the UN Charter and Resolution 1373. India must leverage FATF and other international platforms to push for Pakistan's designation as a state sponsor of terror.
Simultaneously, our doctrine of deterrence, as evidenced by the 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot airstrikes, must remain active, calibrated, and credible.
The pursuit of truth, like Vidya, must expand through use. And here is the unvarnished truth: Hindus were killed for being Hindus.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF EUPHEMISM
This wasn't 'routine terrorism." It was a religious execution. And yet, statements from the UT government described it as a mere 'incident." Such framing isn't just misleading, it is morally vacant.
We have seen how nations like Israel respond with clarity and decisiveness. In India, we too often dilute the truth to preserve fragile political optics. This hesitancy weakens public faith in constitutional justice.
' नन्दन्तु नीतिनिपुणा यदिवा स्तुवन्तु, लक्ष्मीः समाविशतु गच्छतु वा यथेष्टम्।
Let the brave walk the path of justice undeterred by praise, criticism, or fear. This is the standard our Constitution sets.
A NATIONAL SHAME
These victims were not statistics. They were citizens, protected by Article 21 – the right to life. That right was denied. Article 14, the right to equality, was trampled. Article 15, the right against discrimination, was rendered hollow.
A PLEA TO THE CONSCIENCE OF BHARAT
This cannot be reduced to partisan rhetoric. This is about the soul of Bharat, a nation that pledges justice to all. Our Constitution does not discriminate. Why, then, do our reactions?
To remain silent is to betray the very Republic we claim to defend.
' धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः"
Dharma protects those who protect it.
CONCLUSION: THE SYSTEM MUST SPEAK, OR IT FAILS
Every institutional pillar, be it the Centre, the UT government, or the judiciary, owes an answer to the families of the victims, and to the rest of us who still believe in a rules-based order.
The families are waiting. The country is watching.
Will justice speak—or will silence reign again?
top videos
View all
ॐ शांति!
Yawar Khan is a research fellow at Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini; Ravi Gupta is a final-year BBA LLB Student from University of Mumbai Law Academy. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!
tags :
Indian Constitution Kashmir terrorism Pahalgam attack
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
April 25, 2025, 18:26 IST
News opinion Opinion | The Blood-Stained Silence: Targeted Killings And The Constitutional Conscience Of India