Kamar Ansari (Mumbai), April 25: The nation is still reeling from the shock of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Due to the widespread narrative that terrorism has been eradicated from Kashmir, over 2.5 million tourists flocked to the region—only for this tragic attack to take place. There is widespread anger among the public, demanding that every drop of blood and every tear shed in Kashmir be avenged, and that Pakistan be taught a lesson.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are suggesting that the Pahalgam incident should not be politicized. Their sudden concern about politicization seems to stem from the fact that this attack has exposed the hollowness of the government’s claims. Had this administration refrained from politicizing tragic events over the past ten years, they wouldn’t be in a position today to ask others not to do the same.

The Pahalgam attack was inhumane and despicable, and it must be avenged—but what does “revenge” really mean?

The real threat to the nation lies with those who believe that voting for the BJP and electing Modi as Prime Minister constitutes revenge, and that doing so will drive terrorists back into their hideouts. The true target for retribution should be Pakistan and the terrorists—not India’s Muslims. Will attacking mosques and madrasas or targeting Indian Muslims serve as justice for Pahalgam? Some people feel a strong urge to act this way. But the battle is against Pakistan, not against patriotic Indian Muslims who are citizens of this country.

After the Uri and Pulwama attacks, there were loud proclamations of revenge and punishment in Parliament and public gatherings. A “surgical strike” was carried out across the Line of Control in response to Uri, and we were told that Pakistan and the terrorists had been crippled and taught a lesson. Yet, the threat persists. Indira Gandhi truly taught Pakistan a lesson in 1971 by waging a direct war and splitting the country into two. Still, Pakistan did not learn.

So what is the Modi government planning to do now? The government needs to act—not indulge in propaganda. Even adhering to this one principle would be a significant step forward.

Prime Minister Modi has called a cabinet meeting and made some swift decisions. The Pakistani embassy in India has been shut down. All Pakistani nationals in India have been ordered to leave within 24 hours. Even the Wagah border has been temporarily closed. It’s being said that this marks the beginning of cutting diplomatic ties with Pakistan—but what about cricket? India and Pakistan play matches in Dubai, and large numbers of Indian fans attend. Jay Shah heads global cricket affairs and must clearly state that India will no longer play with Pakistan. Chanting “Pakistan Murdabad” in India while playing cricket with them abroad must come to an end.

Deeply affected by the Pahalgam attack, Modi canceled his visit to Saudi Arabia, and Rahul Gandhi is also cutting short his U.S. trip. After such an attack, convening an all-party meeting is standard procedure. But what will that achieve when the same government suppresses opposition voices and refuses to allow discussions on issues from Kashmir to Manipur in Parliament?

The Home Minister does not appear serious about national security. He has failed to protect the lives of citizens, and his resignation is now a common demand across party lines. If the government ignores this demand, then such meetings are just for show.

The abrogation of Article 370 was a welcome move, but what did we gain by stripping Jammu & Kashmir of full statehood? The government offers no answers. Meanwhile, it has slashed the defense budget and made deep cuts in military personnel. This is a dangerous game. Soldiers in Pulwama were denied aircraft for transport, and now in Pahalgam, the safety of thousands of tourists was left in limbo.

Now that the attack has happened and innocent people have died, the government is scrambling to respond. While the Pahalgam attack is inhumane, inciting Hindu-Muslim conflict in its aftermath is even more inhumane.

Local villagers in Pahalgam immediately began helping the injured and their families. A young local man, Syed Hussain Shah, tried to resist the terrorists. When he attempted to snatch a gun from them, he was shot. He pleaded with the attackers, saying, “These people are our guests—please don’t kill them.” In the end, he lost his life. Syed was not a Hindu, but the terrorists still killed him.

Despite tourists reporting that locals helped them during the crisis, the BJP’s IT cell is painting this incident with communal colors. The attack in Pahalgam was not just on tourists—it was an attack on all of us. The people of Kashmir have shown humanity and compassion, saying, “We are also wounded.” We must respect their sentiments.

Our fight is against Pakistan and terrorist organizations. Anyone trying to vilify Indian Muslims or Kashmiri locals in this fight clearly does not want to solve the nation’s problems—they simply want to politicize Pahalgam, just as they did with Pulwama.

The government must now think only in terms of national interest. Hindus and Muslims in this country are capable of deciding among themselves how to coexist.

Srinagar, April 22: One tourist was killed in a terrorist attack at Pahalgam hill station in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. At the same time, 12 others including tourists and locals were injured.

Terrorists attacked a group of tourists in the Baisaran area of ​​​​Pahalgam hill station, killing one tourist and injuring nine other tourists and three locals.

According to the information received, 2 to 3 terrorists wearing army uniforms started firing at the tourists riding horses in the Baisaran area at around 2.30 pm. Baisaran is a small grassland 3 to 4 km from Pahalgam market and tourists resort to horses to reach here, as there is no motorable road to reach here.

“One tourist was killed and 12 others, including tourists and locals, were injured in the attack. The injured were rushed to Pahalgam hospital from where three seriously injured were shifted to Srinagar for specialised treatment,” an official said. He said security forces have cordoned off the area to trace the attackers.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote on Xpost, “I am incredibly shocked. This attack on our visitors is a despicable act. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and despicable. No words are enough to condemn. I offer my condolences to the families of the deceased. I have spoken to my colleague Sakina Itoo and she has left for the hospital to oversee arrangements for the injured. I am returning to Srinagar immediately.”

CM Abdullah wrote in another post, “The number of casualties is still being ascertained, so I do not want to go into those details. They will be officially disclosed when the situation becomes clearer. Needless to say, this attack is far bigger than any attack on civilians in recent years.”

PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti wrote on Twitter, “I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which tragically left five people dead and many injured. Such violence is unacceptable and must be condemned. Historically, Kashmir has warmly welcomed tourists, making this rare incident extremely worrying. A thorough investigation is needed to bring the perpetrators to justice and investigate possible security lapses. Ensuring the safety of visitors is paramount, and steps must be taken to prevent future attacks. Our condolences are with the victims and their families.”

Reacting to the incident, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed deep outrage and described the attack as “cowardly”. He assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that those responsible for this heinous act will not be spared. He has spoken to the DGP and security officials. Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police teams have reached the area and started a search operation.

He said in a post on Twitter, “I strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam. I assure the people that those behind this heinous attack will not be spared. Have spoken to the DGP and security officials. Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police teams have reached the area and started a search operation. Have directed the district administration and health officials to provide immediate medical facilities to those admitted in Pahalgam. An injured tourist has been rushed to GMC Anantnag. I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured.”

This is the first terrorist attack on tourists in the Kashmir Valley in 2025, while the tourist season in the valley is increasing rapidly at this time.

All the hotels in Srinagar city and tourist resorts in Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg are fully occupied.

An unprecedented number of tourists are expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir this year and according to official estimates, around two crore tourists will visit the Union Territory this year.

Tuesday’s attack comes at a time when registration for this year’s Amarnath Yatra is underway across the country.

This year the yatra will begin on July 3 and end on August 9, coinciding with the festivals of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan, respectively.

During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had chaired a high-level security review meeting where he had ordered complete eradication of terrorism with special focus on the Jammu division.

He had also given directions to ensure zero tolerance towards infiltration. The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary, IB Director, Army Chief, GoCs of all corps in Jammu and Kashmir, chiefs of paramilitary forces, Jammu and Kashmir DGP and intelligence officials.

Recently, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had stressed that to completely free Jammu and Kashmir from the curse of terrorism, the entire ecosystem of terrorism, including terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and supporters, will have to be dealt with.

Mumbai, April 22: A woman has been murdered by slitting her throat in Vikhroli area of ​​Mumbai. Vikhroli police have registered a case against an unknown person and started searching for the accused.

According to Mumbai Police, the deceased woman has been identified as Suman (36). She lived with her husband in Vikhroli East area. The murder was revealed when the woman’s husband returned home around 5:30 am on Tuesday after doing night duty. He found his wife lying in a pool of blood in the house.

After this, he immediately informed about the murder by calling the main control room of Mumbai Police. On receiving the information, Vikhroli police reached the spot and started investigating the case. Dog squad, fingerprint experts and forensic lab teams also reached the spot to search for the accused. In the preliminary investigation, the reason for the murder and the identity of the accused have not been clear yet.

Vikhroli police has started an in-depth investigation into the case and claimed to arrest the accused soon.

Let us tell you that recently a woman was strangled to death by unknown people in Thane district of Maharashtra. After the murder, the body of the woman was thrown by the accused on the roadside. According to the police, the age of the deceased woman was said to be between 35 to 40. The body of the woman was found in Thakurgaon area of ​​​​Bhiwandi. However, the dead woman could not be identified immediately.

Initial investigation revealed that the woman died due to strangulation. An FIR of murder was registered at Kongaon police station. An officer had told that who is the woman? Police investigation is being done to find out who committed the murder. Further action will be taken after the investigation.