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Time of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pakistan an agressor, not a victim: Assaduddin Owaisi in Bahrain
AIMIM leader Assaduddin Owaisi ,a part of multi-party delegation member to key capitals to show India's zero policy of tolerance against terrorism on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Pakistan,calling it as a "aggressor" and "not the victim" "Pakistan is an aggressor and not a today's meeting, we presented India's side. We told them that for many years, terrorists aided and trained by Pakistan have been carrying out terror attacks in India, and many people have lost their lives. We gave them all the data. Be it Mumbai blast, train blast, suicide attack in front of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Pulwama, Pathankot attack," Owaisi said. "...We told them (the Bahrain government) that the efforts being made to destabilise India are not right. Neither is it good for South Asia, nor for the region. They also said that many people from different parts of India live here, so they all agreed that the people of India have made a huge contribution here. We also put forward our point," he added. Meanwhile, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, "Bahrain will definitely support us at two places - in OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) - where Bahrain is not with Pakistan and Turkey... and also at the FATF. We have these two expectations, and we believe Bahrain will support us," Dubey told ANI. Owaisi is part of the delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Baijayant Jay Panda. Other members of the delegation include BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP Phangnon Konyak, BJP MP Rekha Sharma, BJP MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Indian diplomat Harsh Shringla. Live Events Earlier today, the delegation met Abdul Nabi Salman, the First Deputy Speaker of the Council of Representatives as part their diplomatic outreach designed to project India's united and resolute stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The delegation also held a meeting with Bahrain's Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa on Sunday. During the meeting, the Members of Parliament emphasised India's commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms. Later, the delegation also met with the Shura Council Chairman, Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh. Notably, Indian Embassy in Bahrain said that the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest. "As part of the visit, MP Jayant Jay Panda and the accompanying parliamentary delegation met Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, where they discussed a number of issues of mutual interest, and emphasized India's commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms," Indian Embassy in Bahrain posted on X. The Members of Parliament also visited Bab Al Bahrain, a prominent historical landmark in Manama. On Saturday, the delegation led by Baijayant Jay Panda held a meeting with prominent figures in Bahrain. The MPs commended their contribution to strengthening bilateral ties. The delegation will be visiting Kuwait from May 26-27, where they will be interacting with senior dignitaries from Government of Kuwait, prominent members of civil society, influencers, think-tanks, media and a cross-section of Indian diaspora, Indian Embassy in Kuwait said in a statement.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam Attack: How India's Internal Faultlines Undermine Its Global Messaging
Published : May 09, 2025 15:11 IST - 10 MINS READ On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, striking nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people. At a briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, flanked by two women armed forces representatives, declared that the Pahalgam attack aimed to ignite communal strife. His call for unity went viral, but more than Misri's message of unity—which many sane Indians have been voicing with fear and risk since April 22—it was the presence of Colonel Sofia Qureshi at the briefing that hit more headlines. While many hailed it as 'real India,' some commentators pointed out how this secular tokenism and these optics cannot hide or change the daily reality of discrimination and violence faced by Muslims in India. The inclusion of Sofia Qureshi or Vikram Misri's secular message in the briefing is reassuring indeed, but more importantly, it serves a purpose for India's international posturing in countering Pakistan; those who say more or less the same thing internally are targeted as anti-nationals, and their patriotism remains perpetually suspect. Consider how ordinary Kashmiris and Muslims across India reacted to Pahalgam. In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, a wave of solidarity and anger swept Kashmir. Kashmiri politicians, civil society, trade unions, and the local Muslim clergy called for a total shutdown. There were candlelight marches and public demonstrations across the Kashmir valley. The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution unequivocally condemning this wanton massacre. Furthermore, many Kashmiris came forward to help the distressed tourists. An equally strong wave of condemnation from Muslims across India followed. Muslim politicians like Asaduddin Owaisi were among the first to acknowledge the anti-Hindu nature of the massacre. Friday prayers at mosques across India saw protests. But none of this prevented certain Indian TV news anchors from exploiting the tragedy. They found a new opportunity to further their decade-long, polarising, communal agenda—even as most eyewitness interviews from Pahalgam showed that local Kashmiris saved tourists' lives, sheltered them in their homes, fed them, and carried victims to hospitals without charging a single rupee. Some tourists even slammed the media for this polarisation. One anchor cut off an eyewitness who was praising the Kashmiri man who saved his life. Another anchor even went so far as to blame the Supreme Court for allowing elections in Kashmir. There are multiple videos of far-right YouTubers bullying Muslims and Kashmiris. Alarmingly, this polarising social media and TV rhetoric was quickly followed by intense anti-Muslim boycott campaigns, hate rallies, and physical attacks targeting Kashmiri students and Muslim workers. Law enforcement failed to deter far-right leaders from vandalism and fear-mongering under the slogan 'Dharm dekha, jaati nahi' ('Terrorists checked religion, not caste'). Also Read | Sofia Qureshi is the symbol; Fathima carries the rubble Several cryptic threats went viral on Meta platforms, urging Hindus to arm themselves against Muslims. One image showed axes, swords, and machetes with the caption: 'Gold is too expensive. Hindus, it's time to buy iron. You will need it very soon.' Another read: 'It is needed to cut big fruits like coconut, muskmelon, watermelon, etc. It is also used to cut trees and tree branches. It is also helpful to fight with suddenly intruding wild animals. Please buy it and keep it with you.' Hate campaigns Since the Pahalgam attack, several revenge videos of vandalism and assault emerged, but none as chilling as the video from Agra, in which a Hindu extremist claimed responsibility for shooting two Muslim men. Police quickly clarified the video was fabricated, but the damage was done. According to police, one Muslim man was killed in a separate incident, unrelated to the video. The perpetrator reportedly sought notoriety. Later reports suggested that the attackers intended to record the murder to vitiate public order. A Muslim man from Kerala was lynched in Mangaluru after being falsely accused of pro-Pakistan sloganeering during a cricket match. In Uttarakhand, there was a fresh wave of violence against Kashmiris and local Muslims. While police have contained the attacks, they have done little to restrict the online mobilisation driving this incitement. Such incitement and rampant violence warranted a decisive response from both central and State leaderships. Yet, no warnings were issued to the extremists who exploited the tragedy to attack Muslims with impunity. It is unlikely these emboldened vigilantes will stop without intervention from those they are trying to please. The government had feebly advised the media to refrain from sensationalist, source-based reporting on military affairs—which only skyrocketed after Operation Sindoor. If TV anchors are to be believed, we are already Akhand Bharat. Even if the advisory on sensational reportage failed, no similar advisory has been issued regarding communal narratives on TV media. They have continued to poison the public sphere with fake news. Several channels presented a civilian killed in Pakistani shelling as the National Investigation Agency's most wanted terrorist killed in Indian missile attacks on Pakistan terror camps. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Minister have made appeals for harmony or even condemned these attacks and vilification campaigns. And when Himanshi Narwal, the wife of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal who was killed in Pahalgam, refused to let her grief be weaponised to justify retaliatory attacks on Muslims, she was attacked. Himanshi appealed for communal harmony and asked people not to target Kashmiris and Muslims. This triggered a wave of sexualised slander, doxxing, and abuse from right-wing influencers. One may recall how the same influencers turned her into a Ghibli-fied, AI-generated poster child for communal propaganda just after the attack. But the moment she spoke her mind, she was vilified and dismissed. So there is little urgency to curb retaliatory hate speech and violent acts, which actually undermine India's integrity and unity, but critics say that there is an ongoing targeting of citizens, activists, and influencers who question the government over security lapses in Pahalgam or who warn against communal revenge campaigns. And then there is mass censorship. Even as Pakistan has lifted the blanket ban on X accounts in response to the growing escalation between the two countries, on May 8, X banned over 8,000 Indian users in the country following Indian government orders. This includes many news sites like Maktoob, a platform that reports on minority rights in India, and several journalists. The government of India even banned the official account of X Global Affairs, which informed about the bans. This ban was lifted after X deleted the tweet in which it objected to the bans and said that most requests did not specify which law these accounts had violated. It started with a ban on the YouTube channel of 4 PM news and was followed by FIRs on influencers questioning security lapses, and now a ban on The Wire's website. For instance, the Uttar Pradesh Police registered FIRs against the poet Neha Singh Rathore and the satirist Madri Kakoti (popularly known as Dr. Medusa) over their social media posts about Pahalgam. Among other charges, they have been accused of undermining India's integrity and unity. An Uttar Pradesh court dismissed the case against Rathore. The FIR in Kakoti's case also contains little substance describing her alleged crime. Since the day of the attack, she has released multiple videos, summarised below: First video: She questioned the government over the security failure and demanded accountability. Second video: She explained that while the attack was a targeted killing of Hindus, its goal was to cause communal unrest—not much different from Foreign Secretary Misri's statement. Next two videos: She called for support for Kashmiri students and criticised the media for communal polarisation. Protests erupted against Kakoti's comments after this tweet from her handle, @ms_medusssa, went viral (translated into English): 'Killing someone after confirming their religion is terrorism. And so is: Lynching someone after confirming their religion, Firing someone from a job after confirming their religion, Refusing to rent a house after confirming their religion, Bulldozing a house after confirming their religion, and so on. This is terrorism as well. Recognise the real terrorist.' It is argued that this content spreads Pakistan's narrative, divides Indians, and incites violence, since a Pakistani X account shared her posts. But what is Pakistan's narrative in this conflict, after all? Days before the Pahalgam attack, Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir said that Hindus and Muslims are two separate nations. He called Kashmir Pakistan's 'jugular vein' and claimed that Pakistan is the only nation, after Makkah, established on Islamic principles. Pakistani officials and commentators defended Munir by citing similarly polarising statements made by BJP leaders. Is there no truth to this argument? Does not the divisive commentary by right-wing influencers, politicians, and certain TV anchors—who fan Hindu-Muslim divisions after every tragedy, from train accidents to terror attacks to even pandemics—mirror Pakistan's two-nation theory narrative? And how is calling out those who exploit tragedies for their domestic political interests a crime when exposing foreign forces who do the same is considered the highest form of patriotism? While the Indian government has rightly cracked down on some Pakistani psy-op influencers, it has done little to shut down domestic actors peddling the same narrative for internal political goals. Even the current response appears haphazard. Should banning cricket commentary, artists, entertainment channels, or legitimate news from Pakistan be a priority when India faces dozens—if not hundreds—of foreign and Indian influencers engaged in disinformation and communal mobilisation? Also Read | Operation Sindoor and the long game nobody's ready for Meanwhile, Pakistani disinformation campaigns cover all fronts but focus on three major objectives: Outreach to Indian Muslims through Hindi-language posts on X and Instagram, highlighting persecution. These messages attempt to exploit communal anxieties and link unrelated events, like the waqf protest and old videos of violence, to the conflict. By not allowing Indians, especially Muslims, to openly counter it internally in a democratic way, New Delhi opens the door to those who do it with mala fide intentions. Then there is an element of 'Ummah solidarity'. The Pakistani far right argues that Indian Muslims have become traitors to the community by supporting Hindutva aggression on Muslims. They are framing India as 'Israel of South Asia', and Pakistan as Gaza, portraying an imminent ethnic cleansing. Indian anchors and influencers demanding an Israel-like response or a Hindu vs Muslim war risk eroding not only India's goodwill among Islamic nations but also alienating Indian Muslims. For instance, the viral video of the desecration of a green Islamic flag with the Islamic Kalima written on it. Pakistani influencers have amplified the video to mobilise support from Muslims across the globe, particularly Saudi Arabia. Add to this, videos of demolitions, alleged fake encounters, or other instances of performative justice—they only risk alienating Kashmiris further. At a time when Kashmiris are united in grief and anger over the Pahalgam attack, New Delhi must not lose their goodwill, especially as inimical actors seek to deepen the divide between Kashmir and Delhi. If India wants the world to consider its international messaging seriously, the ruling BJP must mend its domestic majoritarian rhetoric. But there has been little visible effort to address these social fissures this tragedy has deepened. Indian military veterans have warned against falling into the trap set by the attackers, who selectively killed Hindu men, leaving women and children to tell the tale. New Delhi's response is ideological; one that rejects the two-nation theory, but it remains strictly limited to their external messaging. Whether this atmosphere of unity will extend to India's domestic politics—once tensions between India and Pakistan ease—remains to be seen. Alishan Jafri is an independent journalist and producer based in New Delhi. He writes on human rights, media, disinformation and politics.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘We should keep politics aside': Sharad Pawar hails India's Operation Sindoor strikes in Pakistan, PoK
Hailing India's attacks on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir early on Wednesday, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar backed the central government's decision and said politics should be kept aside on such occasions. 'The entire country had been stunned by the attack that happened near Pahalgam last month. This caused outrage among the people in the country as 26 innocent lives had been lost to the terror attack,'said Pawar. 'A resolution was passed in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly against the terror attack. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took a clear stand against terror,' he said. 'India has attacked the terror camps in PoK. The Indian Air Force did not cross the Pakistan border but launched aerial attacks through Indian territory,' the NCP (SP) national president said. Describing the entire military action as appropriate, Pawar said, 'At a time like this, we should keep politics aside. We stand by the action taken early this morning by the Indian Air Force. After the attack, the US, Japan and other countries have also backed India. India should remain alert. Pakistan knows India's strength… The stand taken by India to corner Pakistan financially is not wrong… The name given by the government, Operation Sindoor, is also appropriate.'
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Business Standard
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Kashmiris will no longer tolerate violence: Sajad Lone on Pahalgam attack
The barbaric attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam has awakened the people of Kashmir, who will no longer tolerate violence, Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone said on Monday. Speaking on a resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to condemn the April 22 terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, Lone asserted that the people must be engaged positively rather than pushed back by punitive actions. He said several areas of Jammu and Kashmir are earning their livelihoods from the tourism sector, and the dastardly terror attack was a direct attempt to uproot a generation. "We are thankful to our nation, which woke up after 35 years to unequivocally condemn the attack on our guests. "Leaving politics aside, I am of the opinion that the violence has some sort of acceptance in our society as some people have accepted it as a legitimate thing, but their number is continuously declining," Lone said. A former minister whose father and Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone was also assassinated by terrorists, Lone said there was a social sanctity to violence in the Kashmiri society, but that has changed post the Pahalgam incident. "We saw people coming out in every nook and corner to mark the social stigmatisation of violence. The people are no more ready to accept the violence this is the start of the end of social sanctity of violence," he said. However, he asserted that there is a need to create such an atmosphere where the mindset linked to the social sanctity of violence must be changed. "The biggest challenge for the law enforcers in the last 37 years was, at times, not being able to distinguish between an innocent and a terrorist. For capturing a terrorist, we have seen four innocents getting killed and villages burnt down in the past three decades, he said. Lone requested that the law enforcement agencies not do anything intentionally or unintentionally where a mindset is forced on people against their wishes. "I do not want to make any accusation against anyone, but people like Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who sacrificed his life saving tourists, need to be created in thousands. Police and army have a limited role as it is the inhabitants of this place who will eventually defeat violence. The law enforcers can only contain violence," he said. Lone, a former minister, said the atmosphere in the country changed altogether after lakhs of people came out against the terror attack, but we need to make necessary corrections to keep the tempo (against terrorism) going and also engage all the stakeholders in a positive manner. Lone also paid tributes to the victims of the attack and lauded their family members for showing maturity and making statements that lowered tempers across the country. He also hailed the Kashmiri youngsters who, without caring for their lives, helped the tourists after the terror attack. CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami cautioned people against the Hindu-Muslim divide and said the terrorists have no religion, as was evident from the fact that the majority of the people who lost their lives in the last 35 years are Muslims. He asked people not to fall prey to the propaganda of the vested interests and uphold their unity at all costs to defeat terrorism. National Conference MLA from Pahalgam, Altaf Ahmad Wani, said that after 25 years, such an incident has happened, and no words are enough to condemn this brutal act. He said the people of Kashmir, especially Pahalgam, need to be appreciated for providing selfless services and care to the injured tourists and others. PDP's Waheed ur Rehman Parra said the Pahalgam incident is a crime against humanity and not only a terrorist act. People from all walks of Kashmir condemned it and showed that we are against terrorism through a series of peaceful rallies and candlelight marches, he said, and sought martyr status for the victims.
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Take people along… don't hand out collective punishment': J-K MLAs appeal on house demolitions
Unanimously passing a resolution on Monday condemning the Pahalgam terror attack, members of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly pointed to the public outrage over the incident across the Valley and cautioned against any 'misplaced action that alienates the people'. They referred to the reports of harassment of Kashmiri students and businessmen in other parts of the country, as well as the demolition of houses belonging to the families and even distant relatives of terrorists in the Valley, with one MLA describing it as 'collective punishment'. Referring to the fact that people came out of their houses in protest against the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead, 25 of them tourists, People's Conference leader Sajad Lone said the biggest challenge law enforcers have had in the past is that they could not distinguish between an innocent man and a terrorist, with several innocents dying in the process or suffering. The violence will not end unless there are thousands of pony wallahs such as Syed Adil Hussain Shah who had come to the rescue of tourists, Lone said. 'However, to nurture people and make them like Syed Adil Shah, you have to create the environment… To have such an environment, we cannot take measures which are regressive.' Stressing that the cooperation of local people was needed for enduring peace, he said: 'We have to make corrections. If we do not make corrections, we will bleed.' The People's Conference leader referred to alleged incidents of harassment of Kashmiri students in some parts of the country, and said this should be checked. 'We have to tell the people that when you do something, it gets magnified and feeds the mindset that terrorists want. Let us not do what terrorists want us to do.' Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, an Independent MLA from Thanmandi in Rajouri, Jammu, who supports the ruling National Conference, said that while no words were enough to condemn the 'cowardly' terrorist act, 'there should not be collective punishment of innocent people just because someone in their distant family has become a militant'. He said houses of even those who no longer have any contact with their relatives who had joined terrorism had been demolished. 'Such actions will not end the terror ecosystem,' Khan said. Veteran CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami accused the terrorists who struck in Pahalgam of 'trying to foist their divisive agenda' on people. 'A message should go from this House that we are all citizens of this country and it is our collective responsibility to ensure security of all'', including tourists coming to J&K and the students from Kashmir studying elsewhere in the country, he said. 'Only then can we defeat the terrorists' agenda of dividing people on communal lines.' Calling for establishing 'the rule of law', Tarigami said this ran contrary to the demolition of houses to target terrorists. Many of these structures had been standing for years, he said, 'but all of a sudden, you say today that these are terrorist hideouts'. 'The fight against terror cannot be successful unless the rule of law is established in J&K,' he said.
