The killing of 26 tourists and the injuring of many more in Baisaran, Kashmir, was a tragedy beyond words. The terrorists, claiming to be part of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba’s front ‘The Resistance Front,’ took responsibility for this dastardly act. They identified people by religion and brutally fired upon them. Among those killed was Syed Adil Shah, who used to take tourists on pony rides.
The rescue was carried out mainly by local Muslims until helicopters arrived, and the injured were treated by a team of Muslim doctors. All of Kashmir observed a bandh, and slogans of ‘Hindu Muslim Bhai Bhai’ (Hindus and Muslims are brothers) filled the air. At the time, the Prime Minister was in Saudi Arabia; he returned but, instead of visiting the site of the attack, attended an election rally. PM Modi did not chair the all-party meeting, as he rushed to Bihar, where he was seen joking with BJP’s ally Nitish Kumar. All opposition parties, correctly, pledged their support to the ruling coalition in countering the aftermath of the terror attack.
This approach contrasted with his visit to Godhra in Gujarat, where he rushed to the site of the coach burning within half an hour of the disaster and directed that the burned bodies be taken to Ahmedabad, where a procession was held with the dead bodies.
Social media was abuzz with messages demonising the terrorists as Muslims. ‘They asked the religion first’ became the central point for spreading hate against Muslims. This trend is already prevalent, with Muslims being killed on the pretext of beef and love jihad, denied housing or jobs after being asked their names, and facing discrimination because of their religion. The government and sections of the media overemphasized the Muslim angle of the terror attack, completely ignoring the security failures and the lack of intelligence. This is similar to the Pulwama case, where mass hysteria was created about the terror attack, but there was little discussion about how RDX could have entered despite heavy security. This time, there were indications of an impending attack-what was the government doing to prevent it? One has to cross many military barricades to reach Baisaran; how did the terrorists manage this?
After the tragedy, local Muslims-including pony handlers, auto-rickshaw drivers, and hotel owners-helped the travellers and decided not to charge them any money. In contrast, airlines increased airfares, taking advantage of the situation. Many Kashmiri students faced harassment in their hostels (some were asked to leave), and Kashmiris in different parts of the country faced harassment.
The Indian government announced measures to suspend the Indo-Pak water treaty. Pakistan’s leadership stated that violating the water treaty is akin to an act of war. The clouds of confrontation are now uncomfortably present.
Terrorism is a bane of Kashmir, with a complex genesis. Dissatisfaction among Kashmiris began with the dilution of the Treaty of Accession, when Sheikh Abdullah, the "Lion of Kashmir," started feeling discomfort over the issue. He began to question whether it was a mistake to accede to India. This dissatisfaction initially had a purely Kashmiriyat character-a culture synthesising Vedanta traditions, Buddhist values, and Sufi teachings.
The situation became more complicated with Pakistan’s promotion of dissatisfaction and its violent turn. In the 1990s, as Al Qaeda terrorists became stronger, similar elements turned the purely Kashmiriyat resistance into a communal issue. Kashmiri Pandits were harassed and emigrated from the valley when the V.P. Singh government, supported by the BJP, was in power at the Centre. Pro-BJP Jagmohan continued to oversee operations in Kashmir during the Pandit exodus, providing facilities for them to emigrate. Local efforts to ensure security and protection for Pandits were thwarted.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s formula of ‘Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat, and Jamhuriyat’ (Humanism, Kashmiriyat, and Democracy) was the best approach to ensure peace in the region. However, the democratic process in Kashmir has been thwarted most of the time, with measures to suppress popular will being the main hallmark for decades. Even earlier, elections in Kashmir were not always fair.
When Modi came to power, demonetisation was initially presented as a panacea for controlling terrorism, but it was a complete failure. Then came the abolition of Article 370. This, along with demoting Kashmir from statehood to a Union Territory, was touted as the solution to the problem of terror. Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that peace had been restored and terrorism curtailed, which encouraged tourists from across the country to visit Kashmir.
However, sporadic acts of terror against Kashmiri Pandits and others continued, tormenting the spirit of Kashmir. Now a Union Territory, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is not part of the security apparatus. The last time Mr. Amit Shah called a high-level security meeting, Abdullah was excluded. The Central Government now completely controls law and order.
How can terrorism be eliminated? The high-handed approach of diverting locals from managing the state’s affairs is a major obstacle to countering terror. The repeated failures of security, as seen in Pulwama and now Pahalgam, are deeply concerning. Kashmir, as part of India, deserves full support from across the country to walk the path of peace, where Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Jamhuriyat must play a key role. Restoring statehood and strengthening the democratic process is the need of the hour. Our fellow citizens in Kashmir need an atmosphere where adequate security is provided and tourists can visit fearlessly. Tourism, the main lifeline for locals, deserves utmost consideration in Kashmir policy.
As the nation stands solidly with the ruling government, the government in turn needs to take the opposition’s suggestions seriously. As some have said, war is no solution-war itself is a problem.
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