Opinion | Targeted Killings, Peace and National Integration

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed many difficult chapters in its modern history. Violence has affected ordinary people more deeply than statistics can ever show. Families have lost loved ones, businesses have suffered, young people have grown up with fear, and communities have repeatedly faced uncertainty about what the next day may bring. Targeted killings are particularly painful because they are designed to create fear beyond the immediate victim. When civilians, migrant workers, religious minorities, local residents or visitors are deliberately attacked, the message is not limited to one family. It is intended to make an entire society feel unsafe. The recent killing of migrant workers in Kulgam has once again brought this painful reality into public attention. Two workers from Chhattisgarh were killed at a brick kiln in July 2026, reminding the country that ordinary people continue to bear the human cost of violence.

For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, peace is not an abstract political idea. It is the ability to send children to school without fear, run a shop without sudden disruption, travel freely, celebrate festivals peacefully and return home safely after work. Targeted killings disturb this sense of normal life. A single incident can create fear in an entire neighbourhood. Parents become anxious about their children. Shopkeepers worry about business. Workers begin questioning whether they should remain in the region. People who had slowly rebuilt their lives after years of violence can suddenly find themselves facing old fears again. At the same time, it is important not to allow violence to define the entire identity of Jammu and Kashmir. The region has millions of ordinary people who want education, employment, development and peace. Their desire for a peaceful life is much stronger than the politics of violence.

Migrant workers have become an important part of the economic life of Jammu and Kashmir. They work in construction, agriculture, brick kilns, transport, hotels, restaurants and other sectors. Many come from distant states because employment opportunities in their home regions are limited. For these workers, Kashmir is not simply a place of employment. It becomes a place where they spend months or even years building homes, roads, businesses and livelihoods. Their presence also connects Jammu and Kashmir economically and socially with different parts of India. When migrant workers are attacked, the consequences go beyond the loss of individual lives. Fear can encourage workers to leave, create labour shortages and damage the confidence of people who may otherwise consider coming to the region for employment. Such attacks also threaten the idea of national integration. India is a country where people regularly cross state boundaries for work, education and business. A worker from Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan working peacefully in Kashmir is itself a powerful example of this interconnected India.

Tourism is one of the most important pillars of the Jammu and Kashmir economy. Thousands of families depend directly or indirectly on visitors. Houseboat owners, hotel workers, taxi drivers, guides, shopkeepers, restaurant owners, pony operators, handicraft sellers and many others benefit when tourists arrive.The April 2025 Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed, had a severe impact on tourist confidence. Tourist arrivals and bookings suffered after the attack, while several destinations were temporarily closed as security measures were strengthened.The lesson is clear. Tourism depends not only on beautiful mountains, lakes and meadows. It depends on trust. A tourist may admire the beauty of Kashmir, but the first question before travelling is whether the destination is safe.Security measures at important tourist locations have therefore become increasingly important. Recent recommendations have included stronger surveillance, security assessments and regular safety reviews at major tourist sites.

Jammu and Kashmir has demonstrated that when violence decreases, normal life can return. Official figures cited in recent reporting show a substantial decline in civilian and security personnel deaths from terror related incidents between 2018 and 2025.This progress should not be taken for granted. Peace requires continuous effort. Security forces have an important role, but lasting peace cannot be created through security measures alone. Good governance, employment, education, justice, responsible political dialogue and community participation are equally important.

National integration is not built only through government policies or political speeches. It is built through ordinary relationships.A Kashmiri shopkeeper serving a family from Maharashtra, a worker from Chhattisgarh earning his livelihood in Kulgam, a taxi driver taking tourists from Delhi to Gulmarg, or a student from another state studying in Jammu are all part of the same social fabric.Violence attempts to break these relationships by creating suspicion and fear. Peace strengthens them.

“The strongest answer to violence is not fear, but the courage to continue living together.”

Jammu and Kashmir needs a future in which every civilian feels protected, every worker feels welcome and every tourist feels safe. Targeted killings must be condemned without hesitation, regardless of the identity of the victim.At the same time, society must resist the temptation to respond to violence with collective suspicion or hatred. The actions of a violent group should never become a reason to blame an entire community.The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve a peaceful future, and the people of India deserve a Kashmir that is connected through opportunity, travel, education, employment and friendship.Peace will not be measured simply by the absence of gunfire. It will be measured when a migrant worker can arrive without fear, when a tourist can visit without hesitation, when a local family can sleep peacefully, and when people from different parts of India can live and work together as naturally as they travel across their own country.That is the real meaning of peace. That is the real strength of national integration.

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