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For shopkeeper Sunil Singh, the appropriate response for India following last week’s attack by militants in Kashmir is clear. He states emphatically, “The terrorists and their supporters should be eradicated, and their homes destroyed. We should even deploy the air force to strike areas where these terrorists are sheltered. There must be a severe response to teach a lesson to Pakistan.”
Last Tuesday, 25 tourists and one local guide were killed in a brutal attack while they were enjoying the tranquil Baisaran Valley in Kashmir. This incident marks the deadliest attack on civilians in the region in over twenty years. Accounts from survivors detailing how gunmen targeted Hindu men have triggered a wave of horror and outrage throughout the predominantly Hindu nation.
The pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist administration to respond militarily has intensified. Modi has vowed to “identify, track and punish every terrorist and their supporter.”
To many Indians, this translates to direct military action against their long-time rival, Pakistan, which has been accused of supporting the violent separatist movement in Indian-administered Kashmir, an area both countries claim. The Indian government has suggested that last week’s attack has connections to Pakistan, with reports indicating that two of the militants involved are from there.
The attack was initially claimed by a lesser-known group, the Kashmir Resistance Front—seen as a proxy for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. However, this claim was later denied. Amid an ongoing economic and security crisis, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has promised a “neutral, transparent investigation” to avert military retaliation from India.
The Modi administration has reacted by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, a critical water-sharing agreement that has been in place for 60 years, which provides 80% of water for agriculture in Pakistan. Diplomatic actions have also escalated, including the summoning and expulsion of Pakistani diplomats, halting Pakistani visas, and even banning several YouTube channels associated with Pakistan.
Yet, many on the streets of Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar market find these measures insufficient. Singh adds, “Pakistan is at the heart of our troubles, and our military should take decisive action. Until we decisively defeat them, these attacks will persist. Our prime minister has our full confidence and support; our military does too.”
Since both nations gained independence in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought four wars. The last time India conducted military operations against Pakistan was in 2019, although the outcomes were disputed, resulting in the downing of an Indian jet.
Diplomatic circles in Delhi are rife with speculation that India is gearing up for a form of targeted military response, attempting to avoid a full-scale war while addressing national security concerns.
Retail businessman Sanjiv Mehra also calls for military strikes against Pakistan, saying, “We need to deliver a blow, not just to those who executed this attack but also to those training them back in Pakistan. This is about showing that we will avenge death with death.”
The attack has further fueled anti-Muslim sentiment in a nation growing increasingly divided along religious lines under Modi’s Hindu nationalist government. In the past week, calls for boycotting Muslims and Kashmiris have become alarmingly common, especially from hardline right-wing groups that have faced minimal opposition from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Vishnu Gupta, the president of Hindu Sena, a prominent hardline group, stated: “This attack in Kashmir was against Hindus, and our response must be equally forceful—not just against Kashmiris, but against every Muslim in India if the government fails to take proper action. Tourists must completely boycott Kashmir to send a message.”
He further asserted, “This is not just a terrorist act; it is an act of Islamic terrorism. If the government remains inactive against the militants and their sympathizers, there will be a day when Hindus will retaliate violently against Muslims across the country.”
This rising sentiment has led to direct violence against Kashmiri Muslims. Reports indicate that students and security personnel have faced threats and assaults, compelling many Kashmiris to flee back home due to safety concerns.
A Kashmiri engineering student studying in Punjab shared his ordeal anonymously for safety reasons, recounting, “I hid in my apartment for two days after the attack, given that Kashmiris were being targeted. When I finally ventured out to buy groceries, I faced hostility. A shopkeeper refused to serve me and threatened my life if I didn’t leave. Eventually, I was assaulted by a group of men who slammed me with sticks and punched me, all the while hurling insults and threats about going back to Kashmir. My landlord also asked me to vacate.”
Kashmir, nestled in the Himalayas, has been a point of contention since 1947 when Pakistan was formed. Both India and Pakistan lay claim to the territory but control different regions, separated by one of the world’s most militarized borders—the “Line of Control” established through a ceasefire after the 1947-48 war. China also controls a section in the east.
Since then, India and Pakistan have fought two additional wars over Kashmir, the most recent in 1999.
As authorities continue searching for the gunmen responsible for the attack, Kashmir is undergoing a severe crackdown, with over 1,500 individuals rounded up by police in the past week. Government forces have begun demolishing houses linked to alleged militants, a tactic increasingly referred to as “bulldozer justice” by critics of the ruling BJP.
Such demolitions have collateral effects, causing damage to neighboring homes in already densely populated areas. Fareeda Banu, whose residence was affected, recounted, “The soldiers came late at night and gathered everyone in our neighborhood into two homes on the outskirts. They instructed us to cover our ears. Seconds later, a massive explosion rattled everything. Our children screamed in terror. Why are we being punished for something we did not commit?”
In the wake of the recent violence, local residents in Kashmir organized a candlelit vigil to honor the victims and denounce terrorism. The region’s top elected leader, Omar Abdullah, emphasized, “The people of Kashmir have publicly raised their voices against terrorism and the slaughter of innocents.” He urged the central government to avoid actions that would further alienate the local populace.
Abdullah stated, “There must be accountability for the guilty, but do not let innocent people become collateral damage.”
Source
www.theguardian.com