INTRODUCTION
Easy access to sophisticated weapons and disruptive advances in technology, especially the cyber world, masks the identity of the terrorists, facilitates real-time secure communications and the flow of funds, and provides access to an infinite resource of DIY kits on issues ranging from making bombs to executing beheadings. These elements have collectively made terrorism the most preferred means of waging war. Despite the grave threat, the international community is far from reaching a consensus on how to fight this menace collectively. So deep are the fissures that even adopting a common definition of terrorism and violent extremism has met stiff resistance.
BACKGROUND
The massacre of 26 people, most of them tourists, in Pahalgam, Kashmir, by Islamist terrorists has jolted the conscience of the nation and the world. It is a tragic reminder of the constant threat of terrorism, which strikes without warning at innocent civilians. The mind-numbing reports of the attackers identifying victims by religion before executing them at close range mark a new low in the history of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Home Minister Amit Shah, who visited the attack site, asserted that “Bharat won’t bend to terrorism,” while Prime Minister Narendra Modi curtailed his visit to Saudi Arabia to return to New Delhi. India must speak in one voice in this period of national calamity. It is imperative to avoid internal divisions that could threaten social cohesion. The unity of the Indian people is the most potent antidote to terror instigated from across the border. Amid the horror, a local Muslim man tried to shield the tourists but lost his own life in the process. Widespread protests across Kashmir following the incident also signalled a rejection of such violence by ordinary citizens. The victims hailed from all parts of India, reflecting the diversity of those who were drawn to Kashmir as it re-emerged as a favoured tourist destination. The attack has disrupted not just lives, but also livelihoods in a region economically dependent on tourism.
KEY POINTS
Pahalgam, Kashmir, April 23, 2025, Attari land-transit post, Indus Water Treaty .
RECENT DEVELOPMENT
Since 2019, India has followed a new policy approach in Kashmir, strengthening infrastructure and connectivity to integrate the region more closely with the rest of the country. Yet, the broader global environment has grown more volatile, with internal instability and international conflicts on the rise. India’s strategy must be guided by realism grounded in national interest and devoid of empty rhetoric as it seeks to isolate Pakistan, whose export of terrorism is predicated on the two-nation theory and Hindu-Muslim hostility. The national resolve must be firm and focused in the face of terror, as the government does everything possible to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.
India on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the over six-decade-old Indus water treaty April 23, 2025, and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post given the cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack. It ordered the expulsion of the diplomat and to vacate India within 48 hours, the person holding a SAARC visa exemption, expulsion of the Pakistani military advisor
CONCLUSION
The recent attack on J&K is an underscore of tension and requires immediate attention for a unified global approach so that terrorism can be combated in India. The recent case of terrorism is a loud call for help, the help that the valley needs from our country. However, India has shown its unified stand on this with certain initiatives taken on board. This tragedy can serve as a grim reminder of the accountability and cohesive international cooperation.
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WRITTEN BY PALAK CHAUHAN
