1 week Ago
The Pahalgam attack was a cold-blooded, deliberate strike orchestrated by Pakistan-backed terrorists. On the morning of April 22, 2025, the serene valley of Pahalgam — long revered as a sanctuary of peace, spiritual awakening, and breathtaking natural beauty — was shattered by an unspeakable act of terrorism. What should have been another tranquil day in one of India’s most beautiful regions turned into a nightmare .
Innocent tourists, families, and pilgrims, who had arrived in Kashmir with hearts full of wonder and reverence, were ruthlessly attacked by armed extremists. The blood spilled that day was not only an attack on human lives — it was an assault on the soul of India. Make no mistake — this was no accident, no isolated episode.
It was a cold-blooded, deliberate strike orchestrated by Pakistan-backed terrorists. Cowards hiding behind guns and false ideologies, funded by a rogue regime, and brainwashed by radical hatred, unleashed horror upon peace-loving civilians. It was an attempt to weaken the moral fabric of our nation, to divide us, to provoke us.
But instead, what it has ignited is our unity, our resilience, and our unwavering resolve to never bow down to terror. For decades, Pakistan has used the sacred land of Kashmir as a laboratory of terror. Generations have been poisoned with venomous propaganda.
Boys, who should have been in schools learning science and poetry, have been dragged into the arms of militancy. The State across the border has used terrorism not just as a weapon, but as a policy — of exporting instability, of feeding the fires of communal hatred under the false pretext of religion, and of crippling peace with bullets instead of dialogue. The attack in Pahalgam was a grotesque continuation of this pattern.
But terrorism can never define Kashmir. The valley is not the playground of separatists. It is not the battlefield of foreign agendas.
Kashmir is India’s crown — not only in terms of its geography, but in its cultural depth, its syncretic soul, and its unyielding spirit. This land is where Sufi mystics composed poetry that sang of divine love and unity. This land is where Shaivite philosophers meditated in mountain caves, and where Islamic scholars built institutions of peace.
This land is where the azaan and the temple bell have echoed together, not in conflict, but in harmony. Muslim artisans have carved temples. Hindu poets have written verses inspired by the Quran.
This is not a manufactured narrative. It is documented history. And it is this sacred unity that our enemies seek to destroy with their bombs and bloodshed.
Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism is not about freedom or faith. It is about domination and destruction. It is about silencing a people’s right to peace.
But the people of Kashmir — our people — have stood firm time and again. They have sheltered pilgrims during storms. They have stood guard over shrines of all religions.
They have celebrated Diwali and Eid side by side. This is the Kashmir that the world must see. And this is the Kashmir that we must protect with every fibre of our being.
The youth of Kashmir have been the biggest victims of Pakistan’s nefarious designs. Promised liberation, they’ve been handed guns. Promised dignity, they’ve been offered death.
Promised religion, they’ve been radicalised into hate. This is the greatest betrayal of all. A betrayal not just by the enemy across the border, but by those within who turn a blind eye to this destruction.
We must reclaim the future of our youth. We must replace the bullets with books, the indoctrination with inspiration, and the hatred with hope. And let us be unequivocally clear: this is not a Hindu-Muslim issue.
This is not a clash of civilisations. It is a battle between good and evil, between builders and destroyers, between the forces of peace and the agents of chaos. Every Indian — Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Dalit, tribal, atheist — must stand united.
Our strength is not in our sameness, but in our shared values. The Vedas teach compassion. The Quran teaches mercy.
The Bible teaches love. The Guru Granth Sahib speaks of equality. These are not competing philosophies — they are pillars of the same Indian ethos.
When a Hindu bows before the sacred Ganga, and a Muslim performs namaz by its banks, they are not in conflict — they are celebrating a common civilisation. Terrorists will never understand this unity. And that is why they will always fail.
The Pahalgam massacre is not only a moment of collective mourning — it is a clarion call for action. We can no longer afford to merely condemn terrorism. We must actively dismantle its ecosystem.
Pakistan’s proxy war must be exposed before the international community. Their support for separatism must be brought to light in every global forum. Every life lost in Kashmir must become a statement of truth, demanding accountability, justice, and lasting peace.
India must now redouble its efforts in building a future for Kashmir that is rooted in justice, prosperity, and inclusivity. We must invest in education, infrastructure, employment, and culture. We must ensure that the narrative of Kashmir is written not by gunmen, but by teachers, poets, doctors, scientists, and dreamers.
The valley must be a space of opportunity, not of occupation. And for that, the Indian state must continue to engage with the people of Kashmir with sensitivity, not just security. And to those who still try to fan the flames of communal division within our own country — know this: you serve the same agenda as those who attacked Pahalgam.
Any attempt to polarise India along religious lines, to pit brother against brother, is a victory for our enemies. And such attempts must be rejected — not just by courts and governments — but by the conscience of every Indian citizen. True nationalism is not built on hatred.
It is built on harmony. It is built on standing up for each other. It is built on remembering that our ancestors fought the British together, that they dreamed of an India where everyone, regardless of faith, could flourish.
We owe it to their sacrifice to protect that dream today. As we mourn the lives lost in Pahalgam, we must light a flame not only in memory, but in resolve. A flame that says: We will not be broken.
We will not be afraid. We will not allow terror to define our nation. India will not kneel.
Kashmir will not fall. We must make it known — through our words, our policies, and our actions — that terrorism will be met with zero tolerance. That those who bleed India will pay a price.
But even more importantly, that those who love India — no matter their faith, caste, or region — will be uplifted, protected, and celebrated. This is the time to rise. To rise with unity.
To rise with truth. To rise with the power of an idea whose time has come: that India belongs to all of us, and that no act of terror can take that away. Let us light candles for the departed — but let us also light fires in our hearts.
Fires of resolve, of justice, of courage. Let every town and city, every village and street, echo with the words: Jai Hind. Jai Pasmanda.
Jai Kashmireeyat. Jai Humanity. The author is the National Working President of the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz.
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views..
