The Human Cost
Pahalgam, a valley once synonymous with peace and tourism, has become the latest flashpoint in India’s deteriorating control over Kashmir. Eyewitness accounts from the recent incident paint a disturbing picture: survivors allege they were misled into believing they were part of a military drill before live ammunition was used. A government doctor who examined the victims claims they showed no gunshot wounds—only blunt force trauma. After speaking out, he was suspended, threatened, and forced into hiding.
This is not an isolated episode. It follows a pattern—Pulwama, Gurdaspur, Poonch—where opaque security operations, rapid blame on Pakistan, and suppressed evidence raise more questions than answers. The disappearance of a whistleblower bureaucrat tracing explosives tied to a BJP donor only deepens suspicions. Kashmiris, long subjected to militarization and propaganda, see these incidents as proof of India’s failing grip, not its strength.
India’s Playbook: Repression, Distraction, and Demographic Erasure
The Pahalgam incident is a symptom of Delhi’s broader strategy in Kashmir:
- Institutionalized Repression: Since the 2019 revocation of Article 370, Kashmir has seen media blackouts, mass arrests, and unchecked abuses under AFSPA. The WAQAF Bill and new land laws accelerate demographic engineering, mirroring Israel’s settler-colonial tactics.
- Manufactured Crises: Security operations frequently coincide with domestic unrest—economic downturns, farmer protests, or dissent within Modi’s own party. Pulwama overshadowed India’s unemployment crisis; Pahalgam shifts focus from rising communal violence.
- Silencing Dissent: Veterans like L.K. Advani, economists like Yashwant Sinha, and even BJP’s own Varun Gandhi are sidelined for questioning the government. The military, once autonomous, is now a political prop—praised in speeches but excluded from strategic decisions.
Pakistan’s Restraint: A Statesmanlike Contrast
While India escalates, on Apil 24, 2025, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) has responded with calibrated restraint:
- Diplomatic Offensive: Calling for UN re-engagement, third-party mediation, and global scrutiny of India’s human rights violations—not knee-jerk retaliation.
- Exposing India’s False Flags: Highlighting India’s extraterritorial terrorism (e.g., Kabul, Lahore) and urging the international community to hold Delhi accountable.
- Suspending Simla: A strategic rejection of India’s unilateralism, emphasizing Kashmir’s multilateral legal status.
Pakistan’s approach isn’t weakness—it’s a smarter fight. By adhering to international norms, Islamabad positions itself as the responsible actor while India’s propaganda crumbles under its own contradictions.
The Global Imperative: Kashmir as a Generational Justice Issue
This isn’t just about territory; it’s about justice. India’s playbook—settler colonialism, media censorship, and staged crises—demands global attention. Youth, diplomats, and civil society must recognize:
- Kashmir is a Litmus Test for Democracy: If the world tolerates India’s repression, it greenlights authoritarianism everywhere.
- Data Over Propaganda: Share survivor testimonies, UN reports, and leaked documents that expose India’s fake encounters and cover-ups.
- Solidarity Beyond Borders: Pressure governments to sanction Indian officials, boycott investments in occupied Kashmir, and demand UN-monitored plebiscites.
Also See: Pahalgam Attack and Indo-Pacific Strategy
The Truth Will Out
India’s instability in Kashmir isn’t Pakistan’s failure—it’s Delhi’s. The NSC’s restraint exposes India’s desperation to mask its collapse of control with false flags and nationalism. The world must choose: side with a regime that silences doctors, disappears whistleblowers, and manipulates crises—or stand for justice. Pahalgam is just the latest chapter. The question is, who will write the next?
