Opinion In wake of Pahalgam attack, staying united, in grief — and healing

Indian Express

24-04-2025

The signal from the terrorists who rained bullets on tourists on Tuesday, killing in cold blood 26 people at Pahalgam, one of the Kashmir Valley's most sylvan destinations, is unmistakable. They aimed to derail the economic revival underway in J&K and to set the clock back in the Union Territory. Tourism has been at the heart of the resurgence in the Valley. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha have all spoken of the tourist economy being the result of, and becoming a harbinger of, a deepening peace. The fact that a popularly elected government, led by the National Conference, came to power last year, and the fact that the election saw an impressive voter turnout, added to the stirrings of hope and optimism. It's clear that the scripting of a new Kashmir story has bred anxiety among the malevolent powers across the country's border, and their proxies. It may be no coincidence, therefore, that the deadliest attack in the Valley in more than 25 years came close on the heels of one of the nastiest dog whistles in recent times on Kashmir by the Pakistani security establishment. Addressing the Overseas Pakistani Convention last week, Army Chief Asim Munir referred to Kashmir as Islamabad's 'jugular vein' and invoked the two-nation theory.
Accountability for the attacks should be fixed urgently. As it mounts a search for the perpetrators of Tuesday's attack and takes steps to fix the gaps in security, the government shouldn't ignore the signs of a worrying shift — pilgrims, migrants, and now, tourists have become terror targets. The militants have also evidently timed their strikes to garner maximum publicity. In June last year, for instance, they ambushed a bus carrying pilgrims the day PM Modi and his council of ministers were being sworn in. In October, terrorists gunned down six migrant workers and a doctor, less than a week after the Omar Abdullah government assumed office. Now, the Pahalgam attack has coincided with the visit of US Vice President J D Vance and PM Modi's trip to Saudi Arabia, one of the most influential players in the Islamic world.
Nothing can compensate those who lost their loved ones on Tuesday. But the best tribute to those killed in the terror strikes would be for the Centre and state governments to reiterate their commitment to providing a fear-free environment to the people of J&K, and to those who visit the UT. The shikara owner, the tour operator, the cab driver, owners and employees of hotels and inns, entrepreneurs, workers — indeed, everyone has a stake in peace. As the government goes back to the drawing board, it will need the support of all these stakeholders. Care must be taken by all to scrupulously eschew any rhetoric that might be seen as inflammatory — because any attempts to play on divides would only mean playing into the hands of the terrorist. Instead, the government and civil society actors must draw on the economic and security gains of the past six years and take forward the story of naya Kashmir. As the government probes the attack to bring the guilty to book, it may have to navigate the escalatory ladder. In doing so, it must keep in mind that Pakistan faces international isolation, both economically and diplomatically. The day after, as Delhi frames a response, it must factor in the fact that the world is on India's side — and the nation is united, in grief and in healing.