Pahalgam Terror: A Chilling Indicator of Kashmir’s Fragile Stability

Pahalgam Terror Attack: Kashmir’s Peace as a Fragile Facade

The nation was stunned by news of a terrorist attack in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at approximately 2:50 PM. A group of four to six militants, armed with rifles, emerged from nearby forests and opened fire on tourists and locals in the scenic meadow. The assault, lasting about five minutes, claimed at least 26 lives, including 24 Indian tourists, two locals, and two foreign nationals. Over 20 others were injured, some critically, leaving the country grappling with the scale of the tragedy.

The attack’s most chilling aspect was its deliberate targeting of non-Muslims, primarily Hindus. The assailants separated men from women and children, demanding victims recite the Islamic kalma or reveal their names to identify their religion. In some cases, they checked for circumcisions to distinguish Muslims, who were spared, from non-Muslims, who were shot. One survivor reported that a militant spared her, instructing her to “narrate the horrors” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a calculated act to amplify fear and send a political message.

Victims of Pahalgam: Innocent Lives Lost to Targeted Brutality

Many victims were killed at close range which exemplifies the brutality of the attack. Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, a 26-year-old Indian Navy officer from Haryana, was on his honeymoon, enjoying the meadow’s tranquility with his wife, Himanshi, when a gunman shot him in the head after confirming his Hindu identity. His family, unaware of his death, was preparing to celebrate his recent wedding. Bitan Adhikari, a US-based tech professional from Kolkata, was vacationing with his wife and young son, savouring a family outing, when he was gunned down. His wife’s struggle to explain his absence to their son left relatives reeling. 

Shailesh Kalathiya, a bank officer from Surat, Gujarat, was killed just days before his birthday, leaving his family in disbelief. He was posing for photographs in the Baisaran meadow, a moment of joy cut short by a bullet fired at close range after his religion was confirmed. Manjunath, a realtor from Shivamogga, Karnataka, died on the spot in front of his wife, Pallavi, and their young son, who witnessed the horror. The family had been sightseeing, unaware of the impending tragedy. 

Santosh Jagdale, a businessman from Pune, Maharashtra, was part of a group posing for photos in traditional Kashmiri attire when terrorists targeted him and other Hindu men, killing him at close range. His daughter, Asavari, witnessed the execution, leaving the family traumatised by the abrupt end to a joyful trip. Sushil Nathaniel, an insurance manager from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was vacationing with his wife, daughter, and son when he was shot dead. His daughter, injured in the attack, now faces both physical and emotional scars. These innocent victims, seeking respite in Pahalgam’s beauty, left behind families grappling with an unimaginable void.

The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack, citing opposition to India’s domicile policies. Intelligence agencies identified three Pakistani terrorists and two local operatives as the attackers, coordinated by a senior Lashkar commander and operatives in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) cannot evade responsibility, as it has long supported groups like Lashkar to conduct anti-India activities. The ISI’s history includes funding and training militants for cross-border attacks, aiming to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir and challenge India’s sovereignty, a pattern evident in this meticulously planned assault.

Indian intelligence agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau and Jammu and Kashmir Police, must share responsibility for failing to prevent the attack. Despite general alerts about militant activity in South Kashmir, no specific intelligence identified Pahalgam as a target. The attackers conducted reconnaissance with local support, exploiting the absence of security in the remote Baisaran meadow. The delayed response, due to the area’s non-motorable access, allowed the militants to escape. These lapses, in a region known for militant threats, highlight the need for improved surveillance, real-time intelligence sharing, and security measures in tourist areas to protect civilians.

The attack’s timing was strategically chosen to maximise impact. It coincided with US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India and Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Saudi Arabia, likely intended to draw global attention and embarrass India. April marked the peak spring tourism season, with Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow crowded with visitors, ensuring high casualties. The attack’s proximity to the Amarnath Yatra, set to begin on July 3, 2025, suggests an attempt to intimidate pilgrims and disrupt preparations for the pilgrimage, which passes through Pahalgam. 

Balancing Justice with Kashmir’s Inclusion

The Pahalgam terror attack undermines claims of Jammu and Kashmir’s “return to normalcy” following the 2019 revocation of Article 370. The revocation spurred tourism, with 2.2 crore visitors in 2024. The government of India claimed that terror incidents have reduced and Jammu and Kashmir was moving towards economic growth. However, the Pahalgam assault, the deadliest civilian attack since 2019, exposes persistent security gaps. The targeting of tourists in a thriving destination reveals that peace remains fragile in the region. 

The revocation of Article 370, which ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, has been a double-edged sword. It drove economic growth, enabling non-residents to invest and boosting tourism, but the domicile policy, issuing over 85,000 certificates to non-locals, fueled militant propaganda. TRF cited “demographic change” as a motive, exploiting fears of cultural erosion. Opposition leaders like Mehbooba Mufti argue the policy alienated Kashmiris, deepening mistrust. Conversely, Home Minister Amit Shah maintains that progress cannot yield to terrorism, noting a decline in terror incidents from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2024, emphasising the need to sustain development despite militant threats.

The Government of India will undoubtedly pursue a strong response to bring the perpetrators to justice, ensuring terrorists face consequences for the terror attack. However, the larger picture demands attention: families have lost loved ones, and communities in Kashmir are shaken by fear and grief. Beyond security measures, the Government of India must prioritise addressing the deep-rooted alienation felt by many Kashmiris to cultivate a genuine sense of belonging within the nation. The revocation of Article 370 in 2019, has fueled perceptions of marginalisation, particularly through policies like the domicile law, which issued over 85,000 certificates to non-locals, raising fears of demographic and cultural erosion. 

The government must act decisively to deliver a strong retaliation against the attackers, ensuring justice for the Pahalgam tragedy, but it must equally prioritise unity with Kashmiris to prevent further division. Rather than fueling Hindu-Muslim polarisation, which risks deepening communal tensions, the focus should be on inclusive measures that affirm Kashmiris’ place within India.

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