Across editorial pages in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, the message was clear on Thursday: resist divisive rhetoric, draw strength from recent gains in peace and development, and ensure justice is swift and focused.
On Tuesday, at least 26 tourists were killed and 17 injured in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Kashmir in decades.
In an editorial, The Indian Express urged Indians to remember that the way forward must build on hard-won gains in Kashmir.
“They [terrorists] aimed to derail the economic revival underway in J&K and to set the clock back in the Union Territory. Tourism has been at the heart of the resurgence in the Valley... It’s clear that the scripting of a new Kashmir story has bred anxiety among the malevolent powers across the country’s border, and their proxies…Care must be taken by all to scrupulously eschew any rhetoric that might be seen as inflammatory — because any attempts to play on divides would only mean playing into the hands of the terrorist. Instead, the government and civil society actors must draw on the economic and security gains of the past six years and take forward the story of naya Kashmir…The day after, as Delhi frames a response, it must factor in the fact that the world is on India’s side — and the nation is united, in grief and in healing.”
The Hindu’s editorial called the unity of India the most potent antidote to the terror instigated from across the border.
“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…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.”
The Times of India’s editorial urged the government of India to swiftly nab the perpetrators of the Tuesday violence and to ensure the issue doesn’t turn communal.
“We must also consider the timing in three other contexts – Modi is out of the country, visiting Saudi Arabia, a friendly country and arguably the most influential player in the Islamic world, Trump’s deputy Vance is in India for a high-profile visit, and Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, last week made one of the most aggressive comments on Kashmir in recent times.This, therefore, is a huge security challenge for GOI, and it needs to respond quickly and intelligently, with the first job being hunting down the perpetrators…it’s imperative that a message goes down from the highest levels of GOI that all religion-tinged rhetoric must be avoided, not just in Kashmir, but everywhere in India. If what’s a terrible national tragedy gets wound up in communally charged rhetoric, terrorists will win, India will lose.”
The Tribune’s editorial called for a firm and strategic response from India, emphasising the need for sustained counter-terrorism efforts and international diplomatic pressure to hold Pakistan accountable.
“The terror incidents in Uri (2016) and Pulwama (2019) were followed by a fierce cross-border retaliation from India. Will the Pahalgam massacre trigger a similar enough-is-enough response? The Modi government, which prides itself on its muscularity, is under intense pressure to teach Pakistan a lesson all over again. On the diplomatic front, it’s a big opportunity for New Delhi to name and shame Islamabad in the international arena. The outcome of the Pahalgam probe will lend even greater weight to Delhi’s argument. But the moot point is when or whether Pakistan will see the error of its destructive ways.”
The Telegraph’s editorial noted the solidarity of Kashmiris following the attack and how the government must recognise it and build upon it.
“In a first in 35 years, the Valley observed a shutdown in protest against the killing of tourists in Pahalgam responding energetically to a call by Kashmir’s political parties, socio-religious organisations, trade bodies, and civil society groups. Consequently, normal life came to a halt, not just in Srinagar but in the headquarters in other districts as well…New Delhi must build on this show of solidarity expressed by the people of Kashmir so that the State can go on to dismantle the shadowy nexus between militancy and its patrons. A lesson that holds true for battle turfs against militancy around the world is that ordinary people hold the key to the outcome of such conflicts.”
Newslaundry reported how in the last six years, since Pulwama (February 2019), instead of addressing security concerns, the government continued promoting tourism as evidence of normalcy in the region. You can read the report here.
In another report, Newslaundry analysed the broader implications of the attack, how the timing and location were chosen by attackers to disrupt normalcy, and the way forward for the Modi government. You can read the report here.
Newslaundry reported about how the head of the local ponywalla association was the first responder after the Pahalgam carnage. You can read the report here.
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