Massacre in Meadows

The persistence of terrorism in Kashmir has remained one of the most complex internal security challenges faced by India. Despite substantial gains in recent years—marked by declining infiltration, neutralization of top militant leadership, and improvement in public order—the notion of complete eradication demands a more nuanced, multidimensional approach.

Eradicating terrorism in Kashmir is aspirational, but not unattainable. It requires a combination of hard and soft power, consistent policy implementation, and a refusal to allow temporary stability to breed complacency. Rather than framing the goal as an absolute, it is more productive to aim for a level of security and societal resilience where terrorism no longer holds sway.

The Jammu and Kashmir economy is projected to grow at 7.06% in 2024-25, signalling a promising phase of development. This growth is attributed to various government initiatives aimed at economic development, infrastructure enhancement, business facilitation and an open collaboration by the populace for implementing developmental and peace pushing initiatives in the UT.

Pahalgam, long known for its quiet meadows and snow-fed rivers, was turned into a killing field on April 22, 2025. Twenty-six innocent lives—most of them tourists—were gunned down in cold blood by militants in the Baisaran Valley, a site once associated with peace, not horror.

This was not just a terrorist strike. It was a symbolic attack—on hope, on livelihoods and economy, and on the fragile calm Kashmir had been rebuilding. It was a massacre in the meadows, designed to paralyse progress and inject fear back into a place fighting to move forward. This dastardly attack was an effort to push back the valley particularly into the dark era of violence and distrust that once ruled the place at the peak of terrorism.

Over 1.8 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2023. Hotels were full. Flights were booked out. People were returning to the Valley not just as travellers, but as believers in its return to normalcy and as ambassadors of peace from the mainland.

Militants don’t just hate governments—they hate the idea that peace is possible. Extremism by all means aims to exacerbate violence and push populations into a vortex of destruction and mayhem. By targeting tourists, they aimed to shut down the region’s economy, revive panic, and remind the world that Kashmir isn’t safe. That’s their message. Ours, a voice of reason, must be louder.

This attack is a wake-up call for everyone, from thr street to the corridors of governance. Security cannot remain reactive and disconnected from ground. Surveillance in tourist zones needs an overhaul—with AI, drone monitoring, and human intelligence scaled up. Tourist safety must be built into law enforcement planning, not treated as a seasonal add-on. Governance systems must reconnect to the humans from the bottom of the pyramid, making every civilian a parter in peace. No effort will work in isolation, one silo antagonising the other. The seat of power and the security grid has to be responsible for the well being of the citizen and the citizen responsible to play his part in peace building efforts. It takes two to tango.

Sadly Pakistan-based proxy groups are still visible in pockets across the UT, posing a threat to derail all previous efforts meant to ensure peace prevails across the once troubled paradise.

If the government wants the world to keep coming to Kashmir, it must guarantee their safety and eradicate all terror based risks here. And that would entail a permanent security architecture—not just at the LoC, but in the heart of tourist routes. Kashmir cannot afford to flip between tourism and terror.

The people of Kashmir deserve better than this. Let’s remember, it’s the common people of Kashmir who have been the worst sufferers of previous decades of terrorism and have lost many generations to the past mayhem. They don’t want any more of it. They along with the victims of Pahalgam deserve justice. The Valley deserves peace—not just enforced, but earned.

The massacre in the meadows must not be allowed to win, nor the evil designs of terror forces. The paradise must be regained.