Pahalgam Attack: Exposing the Reality of Kashmir's Islamist Extremism

As I write this, I am still in Kashmir, where I arrived a week ago as part of a fact-finding mission. Yesterday's terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed several innocent civilians, has once again highlighted the grim reality of Islamist extremism in the Valley.

My interactions with locals and observations on the ground have revealed a disturbing pattern. The average Kashmiri Muslim has no need for tourism; their travel agencies, shikaras, and kahwa are mere facades. Their homes are filled with wealth, and their carpets could buy them three-BHK flats in cities like Lucknow, Bhopal, or Jaipur.

The anti-state activism in Kashmir is a full-time job, funded by external sources. The local political parties, including the PDP, National Conference, and others, are either directly or indirectly supporting terrorists and Pakistan.

The terror outfit that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, The Resistance Front (TRF), has links to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Intelligence agencies were aware of the impending attack, but the political establishment was either complicit or incompetent.

As I traveled through the Valley, I noticed that the names of Hindu sites, mountains, and rivers have been changed. The real history of Kashmir is not taught in schools, and the youth are fed on a diet of Islamist ideology, fueled by videos of Zakir Naik, Mohammad Ishrar, and Hasanain.

The average Muslim youth in Kashmir views Hindus as "butparasts" (idolaters) and "jahil" (ignorant), worthy of being killed. This is the result of decades of Islamist indoctrination.

In conclusion, the Kashmir dispute is an artificial one, fueled by Islamist extremism. A handful of families have benefited from this conflict, but the solution lies in the hands of the Indian Army and the wider Hindu community. We will find a way to resolve this issue, and the Valley will be restored to its former glory.

Dr. Madhusudan Parashar, Naranag, Kashmir