On 22nd April, everyone in the country was shocked to hear of the killing of 26 civilians, by shooting in close proximity by a few terrorists in Pahalgam, near Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. They were all tourists, except one. A terrorist organisation is said to have claimed responsibility for the attack. At the time of a war fare, it is quite possible for human casualties on both the sides, facing each other. Usually the civilians would not be disturbed. This is the practice observed in war fronts. A sizeable members of tourists have been shot at close range. The slain persons hail from different states of the country.
The ruling BJP Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed that the terrorists would be traced, in whichever corner of the world they hide themselves and dealt with severely. After that occurrence of the fatal attack by terrorists, all the opposition parties both at national level as well as at state level expressed openly their solidarity and support to the BJP ruling dispensation for any of their actions and endeavours to deal with the inhuman fatal attack. Here and there, there may be a few comments on the security lapses at the site of the terrorist attack. The ruling National Conference Party led Jammu & Kashmir government has passed a special resolution in their Legislative Assembly that they support all the initiatives and endeavours of the BJP led Union government to deal with the terrorists connected with the attack. Invariably, the entire people including the Kashmiris are with the Union government to safeguard the sovereignty and security of our country.
When the entire country is with the BJP – led Union government, there are streams of hatred speeches over, shooting dead an individual, by wearing the spectacle of religion within our country on the civilian side.
The events and happenings to counter the terrorists with the colour of religion do not reflect positive deeds. The hatred comments hatched are not in tune with the secular fabric of our country. A Muslim, pony rider who tried to protect the tourists from the terrorist attack has also been killed. He had acted with patriotic fervour to save the Indian tourist citizens, but he has also been mercilessly shot dead.
In certain states in the North, hatred speeches are delivered against the Indian Muslims in the aftermath of Pahalgam tragedy. The Kashmiri students who are undergoing College / University studies in other States are threatened and forced to go back to Kashmir. The Kashmiri – Street Vendors in Uttarakhand, who used to sell woollen sweatters and shawls have been forced by a few fanatic elements to wind up their occupation and go back to Kashmir. In Agra, Uttar Pradesh, a person who was running a Biriyani shop was shot dead simply owing to the religion he practised. Threats are forthcoming from cow-vigilantes against the religious minorities to go back to their native area of Kashmir. It is widely said in the media that police, who are expected to enforce law and order are not initiating any action against the threatening elements and expressed their inability to assure safety for the targeted people. All these unlawful activities have to be arrested at once but the Union government has not uttered even a word so far to curb the unruly behaviour of such elements.
The victims of the Pahalgam attack have suffered loss of life of their family members. They consider great and thank the timely assistance provided by the Kashmiri people in taking the accompanied person of the victims to their homes and attending to their basic needs at the time of critical hours. Instead of worrying over the loss of life of their close relatives, they are much concerned about the hatred speech and deeds of the communal fanatics against the Muslims in certain States. The wife of a Naval Officer killed in the attack, has appealed to stop the cruel attacks against the Muslim citizens of our country. The daughter of a victim from Kerala has painfully expressed views on the concerned deeds and recalled with gratitude the two Kashmiri Muslims who accompanied her throughout her presence in Pahalgam, transit to mortuary and remaining with her till her father’s body was taken to their native place in Kerala. She told crying profusely, that she had earned two brothers in Kashmir after the fatal end of her father.
People who lost the invaluable life of their relatives have appealed for peace and harmony, with a sense of feeling that all are humans. Religion has not been a hurdle even in the aftermath of Pahalgam attack. What else do the rulers expect from it? Country wide support has been rendered to the rulers without any condition to deal with the terrorists. Let there be a strong halt for the hatch of hatred speech and deeds against the indigenous people of our country!
