By Sohrab Sharma
Jammu and Kashmir, a name that once inspired thoughts of snow-draped mountains, saffron meadows, and Sufi lyrics, now carries the weight of misery, terror, and unresolved tragedy. What was previously regarded as “Heaven on Earth” has, for many Hindus living or traveling through the valley, become a domain where faith alone may decide life or death. Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) has long operated as a base for Pakistan-backed terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and The Resistance Front. These groups, assisted by Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, set up training camps and perform cross-border operations into Indian-administered Kashmir, targeting civilians, security personnel, and religious pilgrims. The new Pahalgam killing is part of this broader pattern of violence, established in POK’s intended deployment as a hub for destabilising the region. Addressing terrorism in Kashmir necessitates finding and dismantling this infrastructure across the Line of Control.
On 22 April 2025, this brutal reality returned with full force. In the scenic Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, gunmen connected with the Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-sponsored terror organisation, assaulted a group of predominantly tourists and pilgrims. Survivors reveal a horrible pattern: the perpetrators demanded that victims identify and recite Islamic literature. Those identified as Hindus were killed without mercy.
Twenty-eight persons lost their lives. The shooting was not an inadvertent act of violence. It was a deliberate religious killing. What’s Your Name? The Question That Decided Life or Death. Eyewitness narratives are gut-wrenching. “They weren’t robbers,” stated one survivor. “They only cared about your religion. They asked our names. They asked whether we could recite Islamic verses. If not, they shot you.” Among the victims were two Hindu visitors from Nepal, a temple priest from Jammu, and men from numerous families visiting the valley during spring break. In one instance, a father who begged the gunman to spare his daughter was shot so that she could witness it.
This is not the first time the Valley has had a terrible history of religious targeting, frequently downplayed or softened in public discourse.
- In 1990, around 350,000 Kashmiri Pandits were forced to evacuate amid targeted murders and threats by extremist groups. Posters on mosques said, “Convert, leave, or die”.
- In 2003, a terrible massacre at Nadimarg saw 24 Kashmiri Pandits, including children, dragged out of their houses and killed.
- In 2021, Supinder Kaur, Principal of a government school, and teacher Deepak Chand, were killed inside a government school in Srinagar, their names enough to trigger a bullet.
- In 2022, a bank manager and a shopkeeper were murdered in separate incidents for the same reason.
- In 2023, an attack took place on local Hindu families in Dhangri village of the Rajouri district.
And now, 2025. Pahalgam, the Valley of Shepherds — bathed in the blood of innocent pilgrims.
These are not only acts of fear; the pattern is clear. These are efforts to eradicate a community by psychological and physical violence, known as religious purges.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi denounced the incident as “a heinous act against the spirit of India”. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is conducting the investigation, has begun a manhunt. According to intelligence sources, the assaults are a part of a foreign-sponsored scheme to cause instability in the area before the Amarnath Yatra. This significant Hindu pilgrimage starts in July.
Consideration is being given to deploying the military permanently in high-risk locations. However, even if these steps are required, they come too late for the families who lost loved ones this week.
The Pahalgam incident serves as a sobering reminder that identity may still dictate destiny in the Kashmir Valley, which is nonetheless susceptible to sectarian conflict. It reaffirms long-standing anxieties for many Hindus that stem from decades of relocation, targeted murders, and unfulfilled assurances of protection. Even though the government has promised to take action and increase security, these measures often follow irreparable losses. In addition to preventing other assaults, the region’s job as it gets ready for the Amarnath Yatra is to face the unsettling realities of religious intolerance and make sure that Kashmir doesn’t keep experiencing tragedies without responsibility or a solution.
(Sohrab Sharma is a doctorate candidate in the Sociology Department at HNBGU. Views expressed are personal.)
