Kashmir has been plagued by terrorism for more than seven and a half decades. Still, no one could have imagined that the April 22 (2025) terror attack would surpass all the previous experiences as far as horror and insanity were concerned. This time, the Islamic terrorists have set an unprecedented example of inhumanity in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam. Later, The Resistance Force (TRF), a proxy organisation of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack on tourists.

Such direct shooting at tourists, particularly in an area known for tourism, has never happened before in India. Hence, it is a concerning, as well as unprecedented, event. According to eyewitnesses, the assailants checked IDs to verify the religion of the victims and executed those identified as non-Muslims from point-blank range! It could (and should) not be considered as an act of random violence. Instead, it is a well-planned execution of the act of terrorism based on hatred. The Pakistan-sponsored terrorists often carry out such attacks in order to bring the whole of India under the fold of Islam. Such a hellish extermination can be carried out only when humanity is completely destroyed.

Elderly travellers and newlyweds visited the valley to experience the beauty of mountain forests, where the snow had not yet set, and the thrill of spring in willow trees. They were unaware of the fact that such a cruel human instinct could hide in such a beautiful place. The terrorists themselves hinted that it was an act of blasphemy by disclosing their religious identity to the victims. When they shot Shubham Dwivedi (31) dead, Shubham’s wife Aishanya reportedly asked them to kill her as well. However, they did not. One of the terrorists told Aishanya: “We are leaving you alive so that you can tell your Prime Minister Narendra Modi about all this.” This horrible incident is purely a ‘political’ one.

This terror attack has a political character for various reasons. Many speculated that a large-scale terrorist attack could take place in Kashmir at any time. There have been small attacks in different parts of Kashmir over the past year, while people of the valley have staged protests over various issues. Usually, common people in Kashmir do not get involved in terrorist activities. However, terrorists take advantage of their anger to launch attacks. The Kashmiri people were not happy with the abrogation of Article 370 (which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir) by the Government of India, the purchase of land by outsiders in Kashmir, and the consistent practice of disrespect for local residents.

However, Prime Minister Modi and his Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah have repeatedly claimed that the situation in Kashmir is normal and the valley has become a tourist hotspot, yet again. Perhaps, they have made a huge administrative mistake. If all the credit goes to them for restoring peace in Kashmir, then why should the government blame other state apparatuses for their failure during a crisis situation? Just a few terrorists, disguised as soldiers, carried out such a brutal attack on tourists without facing any resistance from the Indian armed forces. Of course, it is a total failure of the Indian intelligence agency. At the same time, the government, especially the Home Ministry, would have to take the responsibility. Unfortunately, there is no strong opposition leadership capable of making such a demand in the South Asian country.

This terror attack has created a new wave of communal distrust throughout India. It is evident in the explosion of hatred and malice on social media. In such a situation, people often forget that terrorism has no connection with religion, although terrorists carry out brutal attacks in the name of religion. The TRF terrorists have successfully created a different kind of deadly distrust, at least for the time being, among the Indians.

In a rare diplomatic move, the Taliban-led Afghan Government has strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives on April 22. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesperson of the Afghan Foreign Ministry, has issued a statement, directly denouncing the targeting of tourists. He emphasised that “such acts threaten regional peace and stability”.

The Taliban leadership in Kabul has rightly said that “such acts threaten regional peace and stability”. Simultaneously, the very existence of Kashmir has also been plunged into doubt. The livelihoods of the common Kashmiri people, who depend mainly on the tourism industry, have been severely affected. The impoverished valley is stunned by panic, grief and despair.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das