Tourists return
to Pahalgam
It is heartening to note that Pahalgam, hit by terror that cost 26 lives, appears to have bounced back with tourists, who wanted to enjoy summer vacation in Kashmir valley, having reportedly stuck to their travel plans. It is learnt that the scenic place which is known as "Little Switzerland” was opened to tourists a couple of days after Tuesday’s attack. However Baisaran meadows, where the actual attack took place, remains closed and rightly so as a mark of respect to those killed in the terror attack. After a lull for a few days, hundreds of foreign and domestic tourists reportedly strolled on the streets of Pahalgam bringing back a sense of normalcy.
This has hit hard the plans of the terrorists who would have wanted to see normal life disrupted in one of the favourite tourist spots in the country. The tourists have shown exemplary grit and courage in order not to cancel their travel plans to Pahalgam after the attack.
The main aim of the terrorists is to create panic and fear in the minds of the tourists so that they cancel their travel plans which will lead to a fall in income of the local business community. But this was not to be since normalcy appears to have been restored in the locality.
The renewed footfalls of tourists brings hope and tears down the specter of unemployment for locals who mostly depend on tourism. People should not be intimidated by the evil designs of the terrorists.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Cosmetic retribution
and shifting blame
For the past one week, the government has worked ceaselessly to prevent Indians from asking pointed, logical questions about the security and political failures that allowed six terrorists to gun down 26 innocent people in Pahalgam. These failings are manifest, the government spent the past five years
claiming that terrorism had vanished thanks to its decision to abrogate Article 370 in August 2019.
Then it crowed that its ‘surgical strikes’ on terror launch pads in Pakistan had broken the backbone of extremists. To paint a picture of ‘all is well’, it allowed tourists to visit a vulnerable, vehicularly inaccessible meadow without the presence of even rudimentary security cover.
None of this absolves the terrorists of their crime of course, but the prime minister’s complacency can't also be wished away. This government tried to cover its failures first by blaming India for not being patriotic enough. “Until 140 crore Indians don’t make nationalism and patriotism their supreme duty (‘param dharm'), these types of incidents will continue to trouble the country,” the shameless Minister Piyush Goyal opined. Secondly, the government inflicted collective punishment on poor Kashmiri families for the alleged sins of their black sheep. But Modi's conscience is not troubled by rendering dozens of his own fellow citizens homeless so long as he gets to avoid being blamed for his hubris and incompetence in claiming a premature victory over terrorism. In destroying home after home, he has exposed his own contempt for the rule of law as recently reiterated by the Supreme Court. There should be absolutely no leniency shown towards terrorists but first investigate the crime, gather evidence, prosecute the perpetrators, obtain a conviction and then sentence them to the punishment prescribed by law. That is how civilised nations deal with terror. The demolitions we just witnessed in Kashmir are meant to convince the Indian public that they are seeing justice being delivered, even when the authorities are far from arresting the terrorists. When a macho government enforces Judge Dredd justice(?) In place of effective counter-terrorism measures, it is the terrorists and their masters who stand to gain. History is witness to this fact.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Termites
of Pakistan
Pahalgam terror attack is an act of cowardice in which innocent tourists were killed. People who do not want peace to return to Kashmir are behind the crime. Tourism is the lifeline of Kashmir’s economy. Attacking tourists is not just an assault on lives, it’s an attack on livelihoods. Pakistan is a state sponsor of terror and a designation of Asim Munir and Shahbaz Sharief as a terrorists. The only difference is that terrorists live in caves and these persons live in palace.
Even Pakistan defence admits that it had long history of backing and supporting and training and funding these terrorist organizations. Pakistan is a home for number of terrorist groups. If Pakistan terrorists have behaved like Hamas, then India should behave like Israel and finish these Hamas like terrorists. After so much economic mayhem in Pakistan, they have still not learned any lesson. Extremists will continue to exploit fragile and violence-prone states because of links between local extremists and terrorist groups. Though infiltration from Pakistan and Bangladesh is of great concern in the form of illegal migrants pose a more serious threat to the nation. It is a time to wipe out Pakistan terror network like Israel did to Hamas in Gaza. It’s time for revenge! India must teach a lesson which will send shivers through the spine of those perpetrating and executing. The security forces should identify, track and punish every terrorist, their handlers and their backers.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Valley carnage is a
targeted massacre
What happened in Pahalgam last Tuesday will be etched in the memory of the Kashmir valley for years to come. It pains me a lot that in the lap of the snow-capped majestic mountains of the beautiful valley of Kashmir, an act of disgusting and spine-chilling bloodshed unfolded, as some heartless gunslingers opened fire without mercy, and without any humanity, indiscriminately targeting both locals and tourists. In mere moments, lives were lost, families shattered, and a region already fatigued by decades of suffering was left in shock once again. The Pahalgam carnage was no
t just an attack, but was a targeted massacre; a deliberate attempt to instill fear, fuel division, and weaponise religion. And perhaps most dangerously, to pit communities against one another. I would like to ask these mindless man-slayers one simple question: “Do the bullets that tore through the bodies of the 26 civilians know whether they are Hindus or Muslims?
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai