19

May

Pahalgam Tragedy: The Intensifying Storm of Hatred

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Prof Ram Puniyani

New Delhi | Monday | 19 May 2025

The killing of 26 tourists near Baisaran, close to Pahalgam, stands out as one of the most horrific tragedies in recent times. Baisaran is a picturesque location that can only be reached either on horseback or by trekking through a rugged path.

The entire nation was plunged into deep mourning by this massacre. Although the terrorists targeted the tourists after identifying their religion, among the victims was also a local Muslim horseman who had accompanied the tourists. He was killed when he tried to resist the terrorists. Kashmiri porters helped escort the tourists to safety, and the locals opened the doors of their homes and mosques to shelter the guests. A shutdown was observed in Kashmir, and several processions promoting Hindu-Muslim unity were organized. Across the country, Muslims and others held candlelight vigils and paid tribute to the martyrs.

Around the same time, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kashmir had been scheduled, but it was canceled just days before the incident. At the time of the attack, he was in Saudi Arabia. After the tragedy, he cut short his trip and returned to India. However, instead of going to Kashmir, he chose to attend an election rally in Bihar, where he issued a stern warning to the terrorists—in English. The fact that the attackers were Muslims and the victims were Hindus was subtly and increasingly portrayed as the central theme of the incident.

Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the two nations, while Prime Minister Modi took a slightly different position. Meanwhile, the “Godi media” (pro-government media) seized the moment and left no stone unturned in spreading hatred. Sitting comfortably in their plush studios, they reported imaginary Indian army takeovers of Pakistani cities. The media hit a new low, violating every norm of journalistic ethics—ethics it had long abandoned.

 

Article at a Glance
The tragic killing of 26 tourists near Baisaran, Pahalgam, has sparked national mourning and heightened tensions in India. The attack, which targeted tourists based on their religion, also claimed the life of a local Muslim horseman who tried to protect them. In the aftermath, a wave of Islamophobia surged, with numerous hate incidents reported against Muslims across the country. The media's portrayal of the attackers and victims exacerbated communal tensions, while political leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, faced criticism for their responses. The incident reflects a broader trend of rising anti-Muslim sentiment fueled by right-wing narratives and media sensationalism. The Pahalgam tragedy underscores the urgent need for communal harmony and a rejection of hate, as the social fabric of India continues to deteriorate amidst escalating communal politics.

 

The most dangerous outcome of all this was the surge in hatred against Muslims. The country was swept by a wave of Islamophobia, reaching unimaginable intensity and scale. In Latur, a Muslim man was beaten brutally after being labeled a Pakistani; he felt so humiliated that he died by suicide. In Uttarakhand, Kashmiri students were forced out of their hostel in the middle of the night and had to spend the night outside Dehradun airport. The most disgraceful behavior came from Madhya Pradesh BJP minister Vijay Shah, who referred to Indian Army spokesperson Colonel Sophia Qureshi as a “sister of terrorists.” He later apologized to manage the backlash.

Mithila Raut of the Center for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai, compiled several hate incidents against Muslims based on newspaper reports in an article published in the Marathi daily Loksatta. According to her article, numerous anti-Muslim incidents took place after the Pahalgam attack. In one such shameful event in Thoda village of Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, a man named Govind attacked Sarfaraz, declaring, “You killed 26 of ours, we’ll kill 26 of yours!” In Dera Bassi, Punjab, Kashmiri students at Universal Group’s hostel were assaulted.

In Mussoorie, Shabbir Dhar, a Kashmiri shawl vendor, and his assistant were attacked and threatened for being supposedly responsible for the Pahalgam killings, warned never to return. In a village named Rohtak in Haryana, Muslim residents were threatened and told to leave the village by May 2.

These are just a few incidents that came to light through media reports. They reflect the alarming escalation of hatred. The social atmosphere is steadily deteriorating. The Hindu right has long been fostering an anti-Muslim environment. Initially, RSS branches spread distorted versions of medieval history to generate hatred toward Muslims. In recent years, Godi media and social media have created an enemy image of Muslims.

History shows that the creation of Pakistan became a new tool for communal politics, with the claim that Muslims were responsible for partition. This is a complete distortion of history. Pakistan was created due to three factors: the British policy of divide and rule, Muslim communalism, and Hindu communalism. The two-nation theory was first proposed by Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

After the formation of Pakistan, the propaganda blaming Muslims for its creation became a potent tool to spread hatred. In truth, both India and Pakistan were formed simultaneously, with Muslim-majority areas becoming part of Pakistan. The complex issue of Kashmir added a new layer to anti-Muslim propaganda. The 1990s saw the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, which was also used to vilify Muslims. At the time, the central government was led by V. P. Singh, supported by the BJP, and the governor of Kashmir was Jagmohan, who shared BJP's ideology. Ignoring these facts, Muslims were blamed for the exodus, further fueling hatred.

One by one, various issues have been used to target Indian Muslims. Nowadays, messages of brotherhood are rarely heard. Every incident is exploited to amplify pre-existing hatred against Muslims. The RSS-BJP alliance uses this hatred to advance its Hindu Rashtra agenda.

The Pahalgam issue also reveals the changing nature of India’s foreign policy. According to the Simla Agreement of 1972 between Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, all issues were to be resolved bilaterally without third-party mediation. But now, Donald Trump has taken center stage in the matter, while Prime Minister Modi appears ineffective in countering him. As a result, the geopolitical dynamics have shifted, and India hasn’t gained widespread global support.

The key issue is that the Kashmir matter should be resolved based on Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s slogan of Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat, and Jamhooriyat (humanity, Kashmiri identity, and democracy). It is essential that we maintain peaceful relations with our neighbors. As Vajpayee once said, “We can choose our friends, but not our neighbors.” The hatred of the right-wing towards Pakistan, combined with the hateful nonsense from the Godi media, ends up affecting Indian Muslims the most. This makes maintaining a harmonious environment in the country increasingly difficult.

We need to understand the deepening problem of communalism highlighted by the Pahalgam tragedy, and reject those who promote hate and war, if we truly want peace and prosperity. Until now, Muslims were insulted by being called Pakistanis—now the word “Kashmiri” has been added to that insult. It’s being used to stoke even more hatred against them.

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( The author: A  former Professor at IIT, Mumbai, Dr Ram Puniyani is a well-known writer on current affairs and democratic polity.)

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