Opinion | United Against Terrorism: Remembering Victims, Strengthening Resilience

Those who want to destabilize Kashmir from across the border should learn one lesson. Kashmir has faced their violence before, withstood it and emerged victorious. Whatever happens, the people of Kashmir, and the institutions mandated to protect them, will continue to defend this land, its people and its future.

One fact must be stated unequivocally: neither the common Kashmiri nor Kashmir as a society has ever been a willing supporter of terrorism sponsored from across the border. The roots of this rejection go back to 1947, when tribal raiders, remembered in Kashmir as the Kabalis, entered the region with violence and destruction. At that critical moment, ordinary Kashmiris, including men and women, stood up to defend their land and communities. The slogan of that era, “Hamlawar Khabardaar, Hum Kashmiri Hain Tayar,” reflected the spirit of a people determined to resist aggression. While some individuals, whose interests were tied to instability, may have collaborated with external forces, they never represented the collective will of the people. The truth remains that Kashmir has suffered because of terrorism far more than it has ever supported it, and the overwhelming aspiration of its people has always been peace, dignity and stability. Therefore, remembering the victims of terrorism must also mean recognising the resilience of the Kashmiri people. Kashmir has never been synonymous with terrorism. Terrorism was imposed upon Kashmir by Pakistan, exploited Kashmir and caused immense suffering to Kashmir. For decades, ordinary Kashmiris have paid the greatest price of terrorism. Families have lost their sons and daughters, businesses have been destroyed, education has been disrupted and an entire generation has witnessed violence that it never asked for. The victims of terrorism in Kashmir have included civilians, security personnel, political workers, religious figures, journalists and ordinary families.

The most recent and powerful example of Kashmir’s collective rejection of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism was witnessed after the cowardly Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025. The attack shocked Kashmir deeply, not only because innocent tourists were targeted, but also because it once again reminded the people of the Valley of the violence that has repeatedly brought suffering to their homeland. In its aftermath, people from every nook and corner of Kashmir came out onto the streets, many carrying candles and placards, to condemn the killing of innocent civilians. I witnessed something particularly significant during those days: slogans such as “Pakistan Murdabad” being raised openly in Kashmir. For me, this was not merely a reaction to one horrific incident. It reflected a deeper rejection of the politics of terror and the forces that have used violence in Kashmir for decades.

Among the victims was Aadil, a son of the soil who reportedly attempted to help save tourists during the attack before he himself was killed by the terrorists in the Baisaran Valley. His sacrifice became a poignant reminder that the victims of terrorism in Kashmir are not limited to those who visit the Valley. Kashmiris themselves have repeatedly stood in the line of fire and paid the ultimate price. The condemnation that followed was not confined to the streets. For weeks, people from different sections of Kashmiri society, including activists, writers, vloggers, lawyers, teachers, students and professionals, came forward through national and international media platforms to unequivocally condemn the attack and every act of terrorism committed on the land of Kashmir. The message was clear: terrorism does not speak for Kashmir, and those who bring violence to Kashmir do not represent Kashmiris.

But the consequences of such terrorism do not end when the guns fall silent. The Pahalgam attack dealt a severe blow to Kashmir’s tourism economy and damaged the confidence that had been painstakingly rebuilt among visitors. The repercussions were felt by hoteliers, transporters, guides, shopkeepers, pony owners, restaurateurs and thousands of families whose livelihoods depend directly or indirectly on tourism. Once again, it was the common Kashmiri who bore the economic and social cost of a terror attack that he neither invited nor supported. This is perhaps the greatest irony of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir: those who claim to speak in the name of Kashmir repeatedly end up hurting the very people whose cause they claim to represent.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police has a special place in this story because its men have not fought a war against terrorism from a distance. They have confronted it from within the very society to which they belong. These are sons and daughters of soil who have stood between terrorists and ordinary civilians, often at a huge personal cost. In January 2024, DGP R R Swain said that over 1,600 J&K Police personnel had sacrificed their lives during three decades of terrorism in the region. These are not merely numbers. Behind every figure was a family that lost a father, a son, a brother or a husband. Many police families themselves became targets of intimidation and violence because of their association with the force. The sacrifice of the J&K Police therefore provides perhaps one of the clearest answers to the narrative that Kashmiris have collectively supported terrorism. A force drawn from the very soil that terrorism claimed to represent has lost more than 1,600 of its personnel fighting that very menace. Their sacrifice is not merely the story of a police force defending the law; it is also the story of Kashmiris defending Kashmir from violence.

The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry is a regiment, whose history is woven into the people and soil of Jammu and Kashmir, and the story of Kashmir’s resistance to violence would be incomplete without it. The roots of this military tradition lie in the turbulent events of 1947, when the tribal invasion threatened the lives and homes of people across the region. Local men who stepped forward to defend their communities became part of a wider military response to the invasion, setting the foundations of a tradition of service that would later find its proud expression in formations like the J&K Light Infantry. What’s especially noteworthy about the JAK LI in relation to this article is who has served in its ranks. They have come overwhelmingly from the very societies that terrorism has so often claimed to represent. Young men from Jammu and Kashmir have donned the uniform for generations, served in some of the most difficult operational zones and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.” Its participation in national ceremonial events is a testimony to its continued recognition as an important segment of the Indian Army. There is a contradiction in this history which must be noticed. If terrorism was really the voice of Kashmir then how does one explain generations of Kashmiris voluntarily joining the armed forces and defending the same land from aggression and violence? The answer is simple. The identity of the Kashmiri has never been that of the gunman. It belongs to the common people who’ve lived, served, sacrificed and rebuilt in the face of decades of violence. The sacrifices of the JAK LI and other formations raised from Jammu and Kashmir therefore deserve to be recalled not just as military history, but as part of Kashmir’s own story of resilience. They remind us that standing up against violence is not something imposed on Kashmir from outside. Kashmiris have been on the frontline against those who attempted to impose their version of politics through the barrel of a gun time and again.

The human toll of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir is also inscribed in the names of writers, activists, lawyers, journalists, religious figures, political leaders and ordinary citizens silenced because they refused to succumb to the politics of violence. Babur Qadri, a lawyer and activist well-known for his outspoken views against terrorism and for peace, was assassinated in September 2020. His death was a reminder that those who spoke out against violence often became victims. Lawyer and political activist Tika Lal Taploo, retired judge Neelkanth Ganjoo, Doordarshan director Lassa Kaul, Kashmir University Vice Chancellor Mushir-ul-Haq, religious leader Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and journalist Shujaat Bukhari had met with similar fate earlier. Their names are only a handful of the Kashmiri voices that terrorism tried to silence. Time and again the gun was turned against Kashmiris who chose to write, speak, serve, preach or participate in public life, from the courtroom to the newsroom, from religious pulpits to political platforms. Their stories expose the fundamental lie in the claim that terrorism was the people of Kashmir: Kashmiris themselves were among its most prominent victims.

Bottomline

As we remember the victims of terrorism, let us also remember those who stood in the way of Kashmir and the forces that wanted to destroy its peace. We are grateful to the sacrifices made by countless local men and women and the personnel of the Indian Army, J&K Police, CRPF, BSF and other security forces. Many of them did not come back. They left behind families, unfulfilled dreams, and a legacy of courage that deserves to be remembered beyond statistics and official ceremonies. Their sacrifice reminds that the fight against terrorism has never been a battle between Kashmir and India. It has been a battle where Kashmiris themselves have stood with the nation against those who tried to impose their will through violence. Today, Kashmir is stronger due to those sacrifices. We have to remember every family which has suffered an irreplaceable loss, every soldier who defended these mountains, every police officer who died in the line of duty and every civilian who lost their life. Their stories are woven into the collective memory of Kashmir and India.

Kashmir is an integral part of India and shall remain so. Its people have shown time and again that terrorism, radicalization and violence cannot dictate their future. We must continue to protect our children from those who want to poison young minds, distort their identity and turn them against their own homeland. It is our collective obligation to remember the victims, to pay tribute to the dead, to unequivocally reject terrorism and to ensure that the next generation inherits a Kashmir not defined by the gun but by peace, education, development and dignity. Those who want to destabilize Kashmir from across the border should learn one lesson. Kashmir has faced their violence before, withstood it and emerged victorious. Whatever happens, the people of Kashmir, and the institutions mandated to protect them, will continue to defend this land, its people and its future.

Israar Shahid is a regular Columnist who is based in Kashmir. He can be reached at soulofkashmir1@gmail.com