FRAGRANCE OF IDEAS
Ever since the Pahalgam carnage took place in Jammu and Kashmir on the fateful day of 22 April 2025, certain important questions have been discussed and debated on public platforms. While some raise the question of security failure, the others ask about the actual identity of the terrorists who committed these crimes against humanity.
While there are sections that embark on the issue of Pakistan army’s direct involvement in the genocide of Hindu tourists in Pahalgam, an overwhelming majority are debating the issue of locals in the planning and execution of the massacre. The heinous act of religious cleansing on 22 April 2025 by the Islamic terrorists followed by their utterances after the killings to the kith and kin of the butchered ones have manufactured peculiar, hard and typical questions among the thinking minds which require appropriate analysis and answers.
The Pahalgam terrorists after committing their butchery against Hindus in Baisaran told their (Hindu tourists’) kith and kin to tell their story of tragedies happening to them in Kashmir to PM Modi. They made sure that this message is carried forward by the media, social media and the other communication channels to all concerned quarters including the government of India and the world at large.
It is for the first time in the last four decades of Islamic terrorism in Kashmir valley that such a situation has been given birth to that has a direct message for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. No Prime Minister was ever given such a message by the terror merchants active in Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere, even in Pakistan. It was surely done with a definite purpose as was the targeted killings of Hindus done in Pahalgam.
The gruesome massacre of Hindus was aimed at to make it clear that terrorism based on religious extremism in Jammu and Kashmir was wedded to its most cherished goal of ethnic cleansing in the valley and that there was no aim other than this to achieve in the ongoing four-decade old terrorism in the valley. All other issues including killings here or there, today or tomorrow, sooner or later; and sympathizing with or hand-shaking with Pakistan even are peripheral to the main cause of ethnic cleansing.
The statements of Asim Munir -Chief of Pakistan army just a few days before the genocide in regard to the ‘two-nation theory’, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi -National Conference Lok Sabha MP about the highly controversial ‘cultural invasion’ theory because of tourism and PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti’s statement regarding ‘Muslim majoritarian character of J&K’ are all inter-related and inter-connected messaging to the extremist elements active in Kashmir.
The government of India over the last three decades responded to terrorism, supported and sponsored by Pakistan, in many different ways. Response was always somewhat identical up to 2013, when a condemnation would take place followed by sending dossiers to different nations and their governments and also to the United Nations and its sister concerns. However, the nature of responses changed with effect from 2014 when Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister of India. We saw the Indian nation-state moving away from its conventional position and postures.
The government of India took certain stringent measures against Pakistan beyond strong condemnation that led to its (Pakistan’s) political and diplomatic isolation. Thereafter, the statements of condemnation were converted by the government into solid and effective responses like surgical strike in PoJK and air strike in Balakote terrorist camp after Pathankot, Uri and Pulwama terror strikes. In addition to this, some other major steps were taken by the Modi government that took away gas from the global ‘stature and position’ of Pakistan at the geo-political level.
India redeveloped its relationship with the powerful and the influential nations of the world over the last more than a decade. Proximity with the US, Russia, Arab world and Europe and emergence as a leading and strong leader of the Global South put India in a very formidable position; and unfortunately for Pakistan to its dislike. India as on date is friends with both Israel and Palestine and has a definite say among the Muslim nations of the world which has put Pakistan on international and regional sidelines.
Pakistan has lost its position and role even in OIC; and its membership in SAARC is completely naught because the SAARC has become dysfunctional for the last more than a decade, courtesy: India’s policy in this regard. The growth of the Indian economy has brought India at number four among the powerful economies of the world. The powerful leadership of India in various fields globally has been a story of success, growth, compassion and friendship.
Prime Minister Modi has been recognized as the pioneer of transformation in India’s stature and future. The attention he receives globally is incomparable and unparalleled. In addition to this, his leading role in the domestic socio-political scenario has been overwhelming and inspiring and that is why he continues as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term.
His emergence as a strong, capable and visionary leader of India among the comity of nations is surely encouraging, reassuring and motivating. All this and the issues incidental thereto potentially disturb and frustrate India’s enemies, detractors, Pakistan, extremist elements including the Islamic terrorists active in Pakistan and the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
This time, unlike in the past, the Islamic terrorists in Pahalgam exposed their inner frustration by their ‘utterances’ before the kith and kin of the killed and asked them ‘to narrate their horrific tales to PM Modi’. They went to the extent to tell them that they were being spared only to do the same. It was in a way to attack the established image of PM Narendra Modi as a strong, capable and influential leader and tell the world that the worst was made to happen despite and in spite of PM Modi.
They also conveyed that whatever was done by them was done at their place of choice and time irrespective of the security network in the valley. They have, in their scheme of things, inflicted a personal attack on the image of PM Modi and have been successful in hiding themselves after committing crimes against humanity only with the support of their local accomplices.
The main question to answer remains there is as to what will be the response of the government of India headed by the PM Narendra Modi in relation to the carnage that clearly involves Pakistan, Islamic terrorists who are responsible for the heinous crimes and the local support that nourishes and thrives terrorism in Kashmir. The response this time has to be multi-pronged, multi-dimensional, long-term based and both visible and invisible.
India’s defence preparedness is an open secret and needs no explanation. It is now time to declare various areas in Kashmir valley as militarised and demilitarised zones in order to wipe out terrorism from the valley effectively. Every caution will be undertaken to ensure that nothing is done to achieve the short-term gains only.
India will not be guided by the ‘suggestions and advice’ of any international key player and the EAM S. Jaishanker has made things very clear in this regard while referring to some statements of European nations. He candidly said that India would love to have friends on its side and may not need any sort of ‘preachers’.
In the background of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict, India has many options and experiences in the current context. The lines stand drawn also in connection with the Indus Water Treaty suspension issue. The options of stoppage of water and flooding are easily available with India. It is expected that the Indian state might go for a revisit to the doctrine of no-first-use in regard to the nuclear option.
Directives to the state governments in regard to the issues concerning areas related to information and broadcasting, information technology and electronics are a clear hint of the events to come. PM Modi and his government have decided to go for the mock-drills, civil defence initiatives and public gear-up on 7th May 2025. It is time to stand up behind the government in its initiative to respond to the situation to establish peace on a permanent basis.
(The author is a senior BJP & KP leader, human rights defender, author and columnist and can be reached at: [email protected])
