There are multiple dimensions of the terror attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam which has shaken the conscience of the entire nation. The tense situation could escalate to a full-scale armed confrontation between India and Pakistan, which has been backing terrorists who have been striking in various parts of the country, particularly Jammu and Kashmir.
Those who planned and executed the massacre of the tourists, have a clear objective of creating a Hindu-Muslim divide in India; the victims were asked their religion before being gunned down, though a Kashmiri Muslim is also amongst those who were butchered.
The barbaric incident has been widely condemned by all sections of society and it was unprecedented that the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir has come out openly against the killings which were against the spirit of Kashmiriyat. Obviously, the perpetrators must have figured out that the fallout of the killings would be felt all over India and there could be a communal backlash which could lead to riots.
It should be remembered that it is not the first time that the victims were asked their religion before being slaughtered. Even during the peak of militancy in Punjab, terrorists operating at the instance of Pakistan would do the same and many Hindus were singled out as targets and taken down from buses and killed in cold blood.
Fortunately, the all-party meeting which was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, resolved to stand with the government in any action which is to be taken to curb terrorist activities in India. However, there were concerns raised over the lack of security in Pahalgam where many tourists had gathered for a holiday.
The investigations into the gruesome incident are on and the government has pledged to bring those responsible for the killings to justice. There are many aspects of what played out in Pahalgam that bear similarities to the Pulwama attack on Indian security personnel in February 2019 which led to the killing of 40 jawans. There are unanswered questions of that incident and it is expected that so far as Pahalgam is concerned, the agencies would come out with a probe that shall go into the bottom of the conspiracy.
There is no doubt that it was a complete failure of intelligence, and the fact that there were no security men present in the entire area is something which is both shocking and unexplainable. A similar kind of thing had happened during Pulwama and the soldiers who died became sitting ducks after being ambushed and attacked.
Law and order is a subject which is with the Lt Governor of both Jammu and Kashmir and thus comes under the jurisdiction of the Union Home Ministry. The present dispensation has been boasting of improved conditions in the erstwhile state and has been encouraging tourists to go there. Tourism is a big source of livelihood for the local people who were very happy to receive so many visitors. Equally important was that the administration should have ensured their safety which obviously did not happen.
The result is that majority of those who were in Kashmir have returned and those wanting to go there have cancelled their trips. There is no more evidence required to prove that the terrorists have succeeded in their objective partially and the government shall have to recommence its efforts to bring back normalcy.
What is extremely important is that accountability needs to be fixed for the huge lapse. Some heads have to roll. The Intelligence Bureau and the various agencies which function in the region were evidently caught unawares. If there were intelligence inputs, why no action was taken on them. Was it dereliction of duty or is there something more to it than meets the eye.
Pakistan has always been wishing to create trouble and unrest not only in Kashmir but in the entire country. After the creation of Bangladesh, which happened because of the unwillingness of West Pakistan to accept the democratic verdict in favour of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, its leaders continue to blame India for this dissection. Yes, Indira Gandhi played a pro-active role since the atrocities on East Pakistanis by their own army were spilling into India and thus causing major problems.
Recently, General Asim Munir, the chief of the Pakistan army made some provocative statements which also provided enough indications of the intent. This was before the Pahalgam killings took place. He needs to be reminded that the Indian Army is well-equipped to deal with his soldiers, like it has done in the past and any kind of adventurism would not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has already initiated measures that were necessary to send a diplomatic message to Islamabad. This is the first step and was necessary under the emerging circumstances. A sterner action would be on the anvil if the situation does not improve and Pakistan continues to interfere in India’s affairs.
Simultaneously, the truth behind Pahalgam has to be uncovered and various aspects need to be exposed. Islamabad should always remember that Indian soldiers are ready and prepared to take on their enemies. India shall always remain united. Between us.