Pahalgam Terror Attack: Against innocent Hindu lives lost
NewsBharati 22-Apr-2026 18:27:10 PM
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On completing one year of the attack in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam, on Hindu visitors, Hasseb A. Drabu, former Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, writes an article in today’s Indian Express: “A year later, Pahalgam's shadow lingers over Kashmir's people and economy"
It has just one expression used to describe the attack: “a horrific terror attack that claimed 26 innocent lives.” That is it.
The entire article has no mention that those who lost their lives were Hindus. Rather, it was confirmed that they were Hindus and then shot to death in front of their families. The family members were left behind to go back and report the brutality. The author could simply not muster the courage to state clearly that they were killed because they were Hindus. On the other hand, he observed that Operation Sindoor is an ideological shift in “India’s counterterrorism policy,” and that too without clearly establishing Pakistan’s “direct state involvement.”
Then he describes such responses as a “muscular posture” that supports a wave of films as “mass-media narratives” (the mention of the Uri attack is not missed). Movies like Dhurandhar are labeled as propaganda and as strengthening cross-border terrorism narratives focused, to some extent, on “Kashmir, unfortunately.” This is compared with the classic film Roja, which depicts the complex social reality of Kashmir.
He talks about the falling number of visitors and the economic implications. He feels Kashmiris are being isolated in our country. The economy of Kashmir cannot bear the burden of these tough times. He goes on to write how change and empowerment are not seen in Kashmir. The people wait for the “dividend” of normalcy—that is, jobs and dignity.
He feels the Kashmiri people and the student fraternity have to bear the brunt outside Kashmir too.
The tone of the writing is that the pain of Kashmiris has not been sufficiently focused on and that hardly anything has been done for them. They were “harassed” and “intimidated” post the Pahalgam attack investigation.
The word “Hindu” is totally absent in the entire article, as if no Hindu was killed and there was no local support from some for the terrorists. In Pahalgam, and later in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, people targeted for conversion were only Hindus. As if being a Hindu has become a crime now in our country. Targeting them, ridiculing them and their deities should not be criticised. People involved in such acts are not to be condemned. On the contrary, for such “heroic” acts, they should be shielded; the community has to stand by them, support them unanimously, and give cover fire to the terrorists simply for their being Muslims. Hasn’t this been witnessed in our country?
The question is: when will we, Hindus, wake up from our slumber and protect ourselves?
It has just one expression used to describe the attack: “a horrific terror attack that claimed 26 innocent lives.” That is it.
The entire article has no mention that those who lost their lives were Hindus. Rather, it was confirmed that they were Hindus and then shot to death in front of their families. The family members were left behind to go back and report the brutality. The author could simply not muster the courage to state clearly that they were killed because they were Hindus. On the other hand, he observed that Operation Sindoor is an ideological shift in “India’s counterterrorism policy,” and that too without clearly establishing Pakistan’s “direct state involvement.”
Then he describes such responses as a “muscular posture” that supports a wave of films as “mass-media narratives” (the mention of the Uri attack is not missed). Movies like Dhurandhar are labeled as propaganda and as strengthening cross-border terrorism narratives focused, to some extent, on “Kashmir, unfortunately.” This is compared with the classic film Roja, which depicts the complex social reality of Kashmir.
He talks about the falling number of visitors and the economic implications. He feels Kashmiris are being isolated in our country. The economy of Kashmir cannot bear the burden of these tough times. He goes on to write how change and empowerment are not seen in Kashmir. The people wait for the “dividend” of normalcy—that is, jobs and dignity.
He feels the Kashmiri people and the student fraternity have to bear the brunt outside Kashmir too.
The tone of the writing is that the pain of Kashmiris has not been sufficiently focused on and that hardly anything has been done for them. They were “harassed” and “intimidated” post the Pahalgam attack investigation.
The word “Hindu” is totally absent in the entire article, as if no Hindu was killed and there was no local support from some for the terrorists. In Pahalgam, and later in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, people targeted for conversion were only Hindus. As if being a Hindu has become a crime now in our country. Targeting them, ridiculing them and their deities should not be criticised. People involved in such acts are not to be condemned. On the contrary, for such “heroic” acts, they should be shielded; the community has to stand by them, support them unanimously, and give cover fire to the terrorists simply for their being Muslims. Hasn’t this been witnessed in our country?
The question is: when will we, Hindus, wake up from our slumber and protect ourselves?
Prof. Vidya Deshpande
Professor Vidya Deshpande has had a journey of more than four decades in the field of education. Her main expertise is in the subject of Philosophy, and she has worked as a teacher of philosophy and logic with Nowrosjee Wadia college for 36 years. She has been associated with the Janakalyan Blood bank for last for 38 years and has also carried out the responsibility as a management committee member of Karve Stree Shikshan Sanstha for 10 years. Her special fields of interest are Philosophy of social sciences, school education, development of skills for self reliance, and top up skills to make students profession ready,