The Pahalgam Terrorist Incident: Balancing Security and Humanity

 On April 26, 2025, Pahalgam, a jewel and serene tourist town in Jammu & Kashmir's tourism landscape, militants ambushed a convoy of tourists in Baisaran, a popular meadow, causing 26 casualties and injuries to several tourists. Intelligence reports had previously warned about heightened activity by extremist groups seeking to disrupt the peace during the early tourist season, yet critical security lapses allowed the attackers to strike with devastating effect. This attack was a stark reminder that even in regions showing signs of healing and economic revival through tourism, the specter of violence remains. Militants chose Pahalgam, a symbol of coexistence and hospitality to maximize psychological and political damage.

Despite credible intelligence warnings, critical security gaps remained. Patrolling was minimal, route surveillance inadequate, and inter-agency coordination deficient. These failures enabled militants to exploit vulnerabilities, leading to injuries and panic. Investigations revealed that insufficient surveillance along vulnerable tourist routes, delayed deployment of rapid response units, poor communication between local police, intelligence, and paramilitary forces.

In the immediate aftermath, local residents, including pony operators, tour guides, and taxi drivers, displayed exceptional courage. They evacuated the wounded, provided first aid, and offered shelter to stranded tourists. Locals opened their homes to terrified tourists, offering protection and comfort. Their acts highlighted the true spirit of Kashmiriyat; compassion, bravery, and humanity and standing firmly against hate. The immediate response from the local population was heroic, the incident triggered a series of stringent government directives, including the mass cancellation of visas, with deep humanitarian repercussions.

Following the attack, protests were held across Muslim-majority regions of Kashmir, including Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian, Pahalgam, Anantnag, Baramulla, and other towns. Demonstrators expressed grief and anger, calling the attack a blow to Kashmiriyat and condemning the violence. Shops and businesses shut down in solidarity. On 25 April, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in his Friday sermon at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid, said that Kashmiris "stand shoulder to shoulder with the victims." A minute of silence was observed before prayers in memory of those killed.

Protests were held in many parts of India condemning the attack. The attack also prompted a surge in Islamophobic and anti-Kashmiri sentiments across the country. Kashmiris, particularly students, reported incidents of harassment, heckling, and threats from far-right Hindu groups. In states such as Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, Kashmiri tenants faced eviction from their rented accommodations, and shopkeepers refused to trade with them. Several Kashmiri students were forced to seek refuge in airports while attempting to return home. In Dehradun, the leader of the Hindu Raksha Dal, a far-right Hindutva organization, issued a threat, warning that Kashmiri Muslims must leave or face unspecified consequences, with plans to mobilize workers to take action against them. Hostels and educational institutions reportedly evicted Kashmiri students fearing backlash or based on discriminatory sentiment. Hate crimes against ordinary Kashmiris, with no links to militancy, rose alarmingly. Instead of national unity, many sections of society pushed divisive narratives, deepening the wounds.

Social media platforms played a central role in this communal polarization through fake news, morphed images and unverified videos blaming "Kashmiris at large" for the attack circulated widely. Hate campaigns with hashtags promoting boycotts of Kashmiri businesses and targeting Muslim communities trended on major platforms. Both right-wing and extremist accounts amplified communal hate and radicalization, undermining efforts of peace-building.

The unchecked spread of misinformation highlighted the urgent need for responsible digital governance and fact-checking mechanisms.

In response to this heinous act of terrorism, the government issued sweeping visa cancellations for 14 categories of visas:, including those of business, conference, visitor, pilgrim and medical, issued to Pakistan citizens. Resultantly, tourist visas for travelers crossing India or Pakistan were annulled. Spouse visas, even for those legally married across borders, were revoked. Medical visas for critical treatments were canceled indiscriminately. This blanket policy affected numerous individuals, a Jodhpur family stranded due to a canceled spouse visa, families in Malerkotla and Uttar Pradesh facing separation. Media reports suggests that many couples who’ve spouse of the either India or Pakistan have suffered the most as one of the spouse is either Indian or Pakistan visa and their children do faced the same catastrophe. Emotional scenes were witnessed at Attari Border in last three-four days where spouse separated and their children too. The case of Dr. Vikram Udasi, Rishi Kumar and Priya Kanwar was appeared in the news columns who have spouse of Pakistan. There might be several other such cases with similar situations, who might have undergone the like mental and emotional turmoil.  

The sweep of harsh policies did not distinguish by religion. Several Hindu families, who had crossed from Pakistan decades ago and settled in areas like Sirsa, Hisar, and Karnal in Haryana, still lack formal Indian citizenship are in a severe situation of confusion. Despite their love for homeland and suffering unaccounted torture and humiliation and migrated with the hope of better and dignified life remained stateless. They are now facing fresh bureaucratic hurdles, suspicion, and in some cases, threats of deportation. Their sacrifice, loyalty, and quiet perseverance must not be forgotten in today's divisive climate.

Women, children, and the elderly bore the brunt of these directives. Emotional trauma, medical crises, and family dislocations followed. Human rights organizations and legal experts criticized the lack of individualized assessments, arguing that such blanket measures violated basic humanitarian principles. International Humanitarian Law forbids collective punishment. UN Human Rights Covenants protect the rights to family life, movement, and medical access. Indian Constitution, particularly Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty), demands humane treatment of all individuals under Indian jurisdiction. The blanket visa cancellations, without distinction between innocent travelers and potential threats raise serious questions under both national and international legal frameworks.

A more balanced strategy could have adopted such as allowing valid visa holders a grace period to return, conducting individualized threat assessments, establishing humanitarian corridors for medical and family emergencies. Such measures would have preserved security imperatives without inflicting undue suffering on innocents. The decision was taken in unduly haste without considering the consequences of it particularly on the Indian nationals who’ve cross border family and marital relations and this section is not a small one and restricted to one or two states, rather whole northern Indian states come into its ambit. The fallout of such stringent directives is multifaceted; families with cross-border families will face permanent ruptures and longer separation, muslim and migrant communities may feel further disenfranchised, Damage to India's reputation as a tolerant, humanitarian nation, public sentiment within India and abroad could shift against perceived injustices and India's humanitarian image on the global stage could suffer.

Combating terrorism of this magnitude requires a multi-pronged approach, Strengthening community policing and building trust with local populations, deploying advanced surveillance technologies, implementing counter-radicalization programs, establishing rapid response forces and upholding human rights to maintain moral authority in international forums and reinforce social cohesion through responsible political and civil discourse. Regulate social media platforms to curb hate speech and misinformation

The Pahalgam terrorist incident revealed not only the vulnerabilities in security frameworks but also the resilience and compassion of the local populace. In confronting terrorism, it is essential to strike a balance between ensuring national security and upholding humanitarian principles. The terror attack on the tourists by enquiring their faith and religion and asking the victims to read Kalma, a muslim religious recital is a dangerous depart from the decades old terror activities in the state. It clearly in alignment with recent diatribe, tantrum and hate speech of Pakistan Army Chief, General Munir who uttered that Hindus and Muslim are distinct identities and that points towards the army involvement in this attack as the terrorists pursued the same thought. The aim seems to have two pronged end; firstly, inflame the hatred amongst the communities and incite a communal onslaught and fringe on muslims by ultra Hindus to broaden the gap between religions, which is under severe attack for the last one decade and secondly, sabotage the tourism of the Jammu & Kashmir to economically destroy the state and reaping the rich harvest of youths for their vested designs.

Blanket punitive measures risk alienating communities and undermining the very values that differentiate democracies from terror-driven ideologies. A humane, nuanced approach remains the most effective path forward. In an increasingly interconnected world, justice without compassion becomes tyranny, and security without dignity breeds rebellion. India’s strength has always been its ability to balance toughness with heart. It is this spirit that must prevail over terror, over fear, and over hate.

 

Choice of mate selection : a forbidden outcry for girls in general and in particular of Haryanavi girls

We are in the closing of first quarter of 21st century. India has attained its political independence more than 75 years ago. It is claimed that we are the largest democracy in the world. We were 33 crore in 1947 and now our number swelled to 142 crore, of which approximately half is constituted by women. The political independence has opened the gates of economic, educational, cultural and gates of liberal thoughts to the women also to some extent, if not equivalent to their men counterparts. Certainly, position has improved significantly in the social milieu too. The constitution and many legislations and, statues have proved to advance the intervention of women in almost all walks of life. She is not the same as that of during the period of pre-independence or early part of the post- independence. Generally she is placed better in most parts of the country if compared to the early years of independence. At the same time she is also having harrowing experience in her personal life, if only the disbursement of economic benefits are considered. She is more poorer and has lesser reach of the meagre benefits of the economic development reaches the common man compared to her male counterparts within the bracket of family. She is dependent upon the men of her family for money or anything that can be bought by the money. It is a fact that she is equal partner of his man in earning these meagre and insignificant monies by hard toiling and shouldering without any complaints with men of her family. She works in factories, mines, agriculture fields, offices, domestic help- a newly created venture for her which is almost 100% reserved for her, she contributes equally in begging and solely made to engage in selling her limb in the treacherous flesh market. In nutshell, she is equal partner in any of the economic activity. Although, some specific fields are solely reserved for her. 

     When it comes to give her back the dividends what limited has attained in the form of whether it is education, health access, nutrition, dignified living, share in decision making etc. she is erased mercilessly what may be the strata of the society. She is reduced to a tool to garner money through her labour potential, to warm the beds of her man, produce children, gratify the social ego of men being his as that of inherited or acquired property, she is made the symbol of honour which ironically not rest for herself as a woman. She is victim of female foeticide and if survives somehow, subjected to ills of any proportion. She is akin to weed that grow in agriculture fields with economic crops. To kill it though insecticides or pesticides and if even if survive, uprooted. She is that weed, on survival, decorate the platter to supplement the food to appease the taste buds. 

  Now the girls have a limited access to education what may if it is not at the level of boys but as the basic character of education, it makes one to think, analyze and create different many permutations and combinations of possible outcomes. Education has potential to activate the mental faculties of the person who has access to it, least maters the medium and it was accessed through. This nuance of education has made the girls to think and make decisions for themselves. It’s the other thing that in most cases they are unable to implement for their own benefits and good, if those are in contrary to so-called social norms. Girls of any strata of society are indulging in making such decisions for themselves for decades but in most cases they cannot afford to share with their parents or the family at least if those are pertain to choice of mate for them. For the larger part of social development and churning, they toed the line of thought and pronouncement of their elders and meekly succumbed to those dictates without saying a word and accepted those as their fate. This succumbing is glorified in vernacular tales, stories, kisse-kahaniyan and the film and television media not fend itself far behind in eulogizing this idea. Last decade is witnessed the shrinkage of world on alarming fast pace on the invent of internet, development of social media, easy reach to so-called obstinate and obscure contents which were highly restricted or can say no reach at all. Now everyone of any age segment can read, view and explore every possibility and have easy access to it. Today’s individual’s privacy is public. How can girls of any social milieu be put under iron curtain? This revolution in information technology has made its reach to girls not only of affluent section of society but also to the girls growing in the small non-descript rural hamlets even in far flung areas miles away from the cities and towns. The invention of the information technology was for the galvanize the economic development which it definitely fetched for the nations and societies across the world but it is the fact that it has given equally a potent weapon in the hands of creators of social media platforms like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and numerous others to reap the rich harvests of money which is in the pocket of common man. 

  What may be said of the ills of social media but none can deny the fact of its immense reach to young minds who not only explored it for creating connections world wide and allow themselves to be influenced by the alien cultures and in turn influenced the people who are coming in their contacts. Certainly, good effects have primacy of little ill one. Today, world has reduced into a global village where one can easily converse, talk and exchange knowledge and information without any hurdle. Today, all kind of information is available on one’s computer, laptop, tab, e-book and so many other gadgets. More interestingly, it is available on one’s 6” screen of mobile phones which are as if pocket dynamite. Alfred Nobel invented the dynamite to usher the new potential for human development and growth but it was used equally for the destruction by making atom bumbs. Likewise, IT inventions have changed the face of modern world. This new revolution has broken the inertia of thought process and interpersonal linkages. 

  Things are changing fast at world stage which are inclusive in nature and thereby, affecting the mindset, thought process, view towards life, personal independence, decision making for the self and how to use the physical body. The girls in general and girls of rural Haryana cannot remain aloof and alien. They have their own thought for their life and here the real duel raises its head. Social development lagged far behind if compared the thought process of young minds. The culture and social structure in rural Haryana is still spearheaded by the dictates of khaps or local self-styled so-called hegemonial leaders and families living therein are explicitly influenced by this behaviour, rather they are part of this  feudalistic approach and allow such elements to influence and decide the fate of their children when they choose some different path for their life. Its more true if girl is raising head. The whole system come forward laced with the false slogan of honour and pride of the society and forces and compels the girl to toe the line. If she resists it, her wellbeing, dignity and honour to her bodily sacrament is in danger and in most cases she becomes the victim who cannot say even a single word regarding what has been meted to her. The cases of honour killing are regularly occuring in different parts of Haryana. As per newpapers reports, 24 cases of honour killing reported in year 2019, 8 in 2020, 5 in 2021 whereas 3 and 7 in 2022 and 2023 respectively. These figures contemplate the ugly face of our society. However, how many cases gone unreported, none has an idea. 

  Glaring to note that when a girl somehow able to contact the police or women protection units which are working under different nomenclature through the Helplines, the response is very pathetic and frightening. Instead of rendering the timely help to save her and her dignity as a women, in most cases, she is looked upon as a rogue and ill character woman/girl, despite the fact that most of such units and agencies are led by women.  Although there is no surprise in it as they are the carrier of feudalistic and patriarchal thought and on the very first instance, advise the girl to surrender before the will of the society by citing different many moral lessons of varied hues. Interestingly, they are akin to the alternate host for the parasites to survive the parasite in the time of adverse situations. The police or women protection units are responsible to subvert the novel path adopted by a girl to decide for herself and her body. The girl who taken courage to fight the odds of the society and her family is made a harried lot to fend for herself or become a victim in the hands of someone else who comes in the garb of help or compel her to surrender before the system that will treat her as a thing and pose an example for the others. What may be the hurdles, the progress and growth imbibed by the girls through education and profound and vigorous body of knowledge accessed through new tools of information technology cannot be tamed for the indefinite time. One after the other girl will choose and challenge this rotten system for garnering of the basic right to decide for her life and how she wihses to use her body. No barrier in the shape of feudalistic and patriarchal approch will succeed in her fight which is demanding a small thing and that is the right to live her life as per wishes.