JAMMU: In a move that has drawn sharp criticism; senior political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir are being accused of attempting to whitewash the Pahalgam terror massacre by shifting focus from the victims to alleged civilian harassment. Barely seventy-two hours after the brutal attack that left 26 tourists dead and dozens injured, leaders like former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, along with MP Ruhullah Mehdi, have issued statements that many observers believe dilute the gravity of the tragedy.
Mehbooba Mufti appealed for ‘caution’ and warned against ‘alienating civilians’, while Mehdi similarly cautioned against “collective punishment,” raising concerns about ongoing security operations in the Valley.
Critics contend that such remarks, although wrapped in civil rights rhetoric, attempt to sidestep the gravity of terrorism and instead shift focus to supposed State overreach, thus complicating the moral framework required after the occurrence of such barbarism.
“It is a replay of an old playbook,” remarked a senior security analyst. “Each time a terror attack sends shockwaves through the Valley, one segment of the political class seems to immediately redirect the discourse towards confrontational grievances and harassment, offering an obfuscation that shields the perpetrators of these monstrous acts.”
This sequence, analysts point out, has deep-set roots in history.
Public memory is still fresh, how Mehbooba Mufti was notorious for elevating radical figures such as Burhan Wani to the status of ‘misguided youth’ during the violent unrest in 2016 while inciting widespread unrest throughout the Valley.
Critics point out that such statements at a sensitive juncture not only diminish the faith of people in the security apparatus, but also strengthen the secessionist narrative. Proxy networks and Islamabad-based misinformation outlets have already started promoting allegations of civilian victimization, having been partly aided by recent pronouncements made by some local leaders.
A senior officer once said, ‘In the battle against terror, narratives are as powerful as bullets.’ Some of the leaders are subverting peace and stability by casting doubt and redirecting the rage in an effort to shift the narrative. They are doing disservice to peace loving Kashmiris.”
The overriding concern remains whether such political theatrics will deplete the public resolve to fight against terrorism which had, until now, appeared to be on the rise in the Valley.
The broader concern remains whether these political interventions will erode the public momentum against terrorism that has been visibly growing in the Valley. Following the Pahalgam massacre, widespread condemnations were seen from various sections of Kashmiri society, signaling a shift away from the culture of silence that previously followed terror attacks. Nonetheless, the emergence of the old grievance narrative threatens to derail this process.
As investigations into the Pahalgam attack progress, with the NIA taking charge and the security apparatus tightening their noose around terror sympathizers, the State finds itself battling not only armed insurgents, but insidious narratives designed to erode national strength that are just as damaging.
What Kashmir is grappling with now isn’t so much about how many terrorists are neutralized on the battlefield in the region, but whether the Valley is capable of overcoming the deeply rooted existence of political convenience that has systematically subverted the pan-India narrative war and the culture of terror for decades.