Pahalgam Terror Attack

Vinay Narwal, a Navy Lieutenant, married Himanshi about a week ago. While their initial plan was to go to Switzerland for their honeymoon, they decided to explore the scenic beauty of Pahalgam in Kashmir. Little did Himanshi know that she would have to witness the tragedy of her husband being shot dead by terrorists within a week of her marriage right in front of her eyes. While their stories differ, the tragedy and the reason why they met such a dastardly fate remains the same for the twenty six victims who were killed by terrorists in Pahalgam on 22nd April 2025. Just when the Kashmir region was returning to normalcy, the Pahalgam incident, the deadliest terror attack on tourists in Kashmir since 2000, struck a chord of fear and panic in the hearts of Indians. Initiatives such as completing the construction work of 17601 km of road, operationalisation of two new AIIMS, seven new medical colleges, two state cancer institutes, fifteen nursing colleges and estimated creation of employment for 5.2 lakh persons through self-employment schemes had put Kashmir on the path of peace and prosperity. Tourism had also exponentially surged as visibly seen in the rise in the number of tourists to Kashmir from 5.7 lakhs in 2019 to 35 lakhs in 2024. Apart from this, effective counter-terrorism initiatives taken by the Central Government in the past decade have helped in curtailing terrorism-related incidents in Kashmir. In March, two Hurriyat affiliated organisations severed ties with separatism in Jammu and Kashmir..While such measures have slowly started to erode the remnants of separatism and terrorism from the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir, the terrorist attack on Hindus in Pahalgam comes across not only as an aberration but also as a visible ploy to revive the horrors of social incohesion and terror in the region. To all those who aim to create fault lines through language politics and ideological differences, the modus operandi of the terrorists in Pahalgam should be a wake-up call. The victims were not asked which state they belonged to, they were not asked which language they spoke, they were not asked which party they voted for before being shot. They were asked only one question, the answer to which sealed their fate. They were enquired about their religion and the moment they revealed that they were Hindus, they were shot to death. While the Indian Government has started its plan of retaliation against Pakistan, which continues to support terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, it is also the responsibility of the Indian citizens to stay united and not fall for petty propaganda. Unlike what the polarised sections of society suggest, this is not the time to engage in a full-fledged war or to remain in a state of inaction under the pretense of maintaining peace. A full-fledged war will slow down India from fully capitalising on the global trade war and not retaliating will position India as a weak country. As the Indian Government has rightly taken stringent retaliatory measures such as suspending the Indus Water Treaty, classifying Pakistani officials in India as persona non grata and closing the Attari-Wagah border, it is our duty as Indian citizens to beware of anti-India elements that continue to exist amidst us and spread awareness against them..As the former Chief of Defence Staff Late General Bipin Rawat rightly put it, ‘India is fighting a 2.5 front war’. This means while India is fighting the two primary external adversaries, Pakistan and China, there is also the danger posed by internal anti-India elements which he referred to as ‘.5’. These elements engage in a multi-faceted war, by spreading radicalisation, separatist sentiment and insurgency, with the Indian state. While India is progressing towards socio-economic prowess, it is important as citizens of this country, to contribute to the best of our capabilities in fighting the 2.5 front war, which India is fighting. As Indians, contributing to India’s socio-economic progress and remaining alert against internal anti-national elements, alongside resolute governmental action will alone ensure that India stands First.