The message of Pahalgam: ‘Normalcy' and cross-border terror cannot co-exist

India Today

24-04-2025

In the vocabulary of the long-running Jammu and Kashmir conflict, one word has crept in periodically, namely 'normalcy'. Politicians and pundits have often spoken triumphantly of how 'normalcy' is being restored in the Kashmir Valley. And yet, the stark truth is that for three and a half decades, Kashmir has been anything but 'normal'. The latest tragic terror attack, in which at least 28 civilians were massacred, is only a stark reminder of how, in a bloodied Valley, every time a window of hope is opened, it is firmly shut by the merchants of terror. From a ray of sunshine to a dark abyss, Kashmir is trapped in a deadly schizophrenia.advertisementRecall how Prime Minister Narendra Modi expounded on his vision of a 'Naya Kashmir' soon after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Mr Modi spun a dream of how this was a major step towards 'normalcy': Kashmir would soon see, promised the prime minister, a flood of investments, of massive infrastructure development and even a return of Bollywood cinema to the snow-capped mountains and verdant meadows. This would be a 'new normal' where Jammu and Kashmir would be rapidly 'mainstreamed' into a 'new' India.The promised 'normalcy' was a facade. Sure, new roads, highways and tunnels were built as a positive symbol of change. It was now possible to whizz from Srinagar to Anantnag or Baramullah with a speed that was perhaps unthinkable a few years ago. But 'normalcy' isn't just about physical infrastructure. It is ultimately about winning the hearts and minds of the people. And that is where long-standing resentments on the ground refused to go away.advertisement
How is it 'normal' when India's only Muslim-majority state is split and downsized into a union territory by an overnight legislative firman? How is it 'normal' when three former chief ministers are detained and placed under house arrest? How is it 'normal' when thousands of Kashmiris are arrested under draconian preventive detention laws and packed off into prison? How is it 'normal' when schools remain shut for months and internet shutdowns are routine? How is it 'normal' when thousands of security troops are swarming across every nook and corner of the Valley, their overwhelming presence a constant reminder of how the Indian state could not afford to take any risks on the ground? How is it 'normal' when a rogue and dysfunctional Pakistani state continues to arm and train young men to spread fear and violence?The drumbeat of 'normalcy' was spurred on when elections were finally held last year, and the turnout in both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha was far higher than before. No boycott calls by separatist groups and no sign of voter coercion. The Hurriyat Conference – once projected as the voice of the separatists – was now a rump, effectively emasculated by the all-powerful Indian state machine. Omar Abdullah was the 'elected' chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, his party winning an absolute majority. But how is it 'normal' when the chief minister has almost no powers, not even the powers to appoint or transfer key bureaucrats? How is it 'normal' when an unelected Lieutenant Governor with no Kashmir connect was vested with all the authority, including crucially law and order? The people of Jammu and Kashmir had voted in large numbers in the hope that an election was a prelude to a restoration of statehood as promised by the Centre. That promise remains unfulfilled.advertisementThe 'normalcy' narrative also pointed to the record number of tourists who thronged the valley in a post-Covid tourism boom. The tulips were blooming in Srinagar's gardens, the shikaras and house-boats on Dal Lake were over-booked in peak season, trekking in Pahalgam and skiing in Gulmarg were attracting visitors, and new hotels were being planned. The Centre had even promoted J and K as a tourist-friendly destination, with Srinagar hosting a G20 tourism summit in May 2023.But tourism alone is not a sign of 'normalcy'. 'Normalcy' also means the absence of fear, zero terror and the inability of terrorists to strike at will. The centre claimed, justifiably, that the number of civilians killed in terror attacks had come down in recent years. What the figures masked is a grim reality where encounters between armed forces and terrorist groups continued unabated, where the dense forests in the Poonch-Rajouri region saw a fresh spate of attacks, where, in just the first month when the new government was elected in October 2024, there was a marked spike in violence.advertisementHow is it 'normal' when terrorists continued to indulge in targeted attacks: recall how in October 2021, a prominent Srinagar city chemist, a food vendor and a taxi driver were all gunned down within an hour. The chemist Makhan Lal Bindroo was a Kashmiri Pandit, amongst the few who had stayed back after the 1990s exodus. How is it 'normal' when Kashmiri Hindu families still can't return to their ancestral homes? How is it 'normal' when a religious divide has been stoked by those who used the gun to drive away Kashmiri Pandits? How is it 'normal' when the Amarnath Yatra remains vulnerable to a terror strike?Which brings us to the real source of mischief and terror in the turbulent valley. How is it 'normal' when Islamist terrorists, openly wearing their religion on their sleeves, backed by the Pakistani ISI-army network, continue to spread their tentacles in the region? How is it 'normal' when Pakistan continues to shelter Lashkar modules, when its army chief peddles the two-nation theory and describes Kashmir as Islamabad's 'jugular vein'? Recent years have seen the emergence of 'hybrid' terrorists, groups that are a mix of Pakistani 'foreign' terrorists along with local Kashmiris who are enticed and indoctrinated into the 'jihadi' network. How is it 'normal' when young men still seek solace in the gun amidst persistently high unemployment and a growing drug menace?advertisementThe truth is, the Modi government hasn't been able to eliminate cross-border terror, just as previous governments also failed. The language of muscular nationalist rhetoric in a TV studio has been cruelly exposed on the ground. From Pathankot to Pahalgam via Pulwama, there is enough evidence to show that the Pakistani state continues to sponsor terror and conflict in the region. What fuels this is not just the 'Islamisation' of the Pakistani state but also the creeping religious divide within our society. How is it 'normal' when the political establishment and their cheerleaders are seen to 'normalise' hate and bigotry? The rogue Pakistani army-state wants to use Pahalgam to further widen a Hindu-Muslim divide. We must not succumb to their evil desires. Pakistan must pay the price for its actions. India must remain united in grief and rage.(Rajdeep Sardesai is a senior journalist and author whose latest book is 2024:The Election That Surprised India)(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Tune InMust Watch