The recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, has once again peeled away the layers of false narratives surrounding terrorism in India. In a chilling incident, terrorists brazenly fired upon tourists vacationing ata resort in Pahalgam. They interrogated the tourists about their religion, and then opened fire selectively—killing only those who identified as Hindus. This was not a random act of violence, nor was it a spontaneous outburst of militancy; it was a premeditated act driven by religious hatred, executed with the singular purpose of targeting individuals based solely on their faith. This attack must be understood not just as another act of terror, but as a manifestation of a deeper, more dangerous ideology that places religion—not just politics or separatism—at its core.
For far too long, there has been an intentional downplaying of the religious dimension in terror-related incidents in India. Mainstream discourse often avoids naming the real issue, opting instead for diluted explanations that fail to capture the ideological motivations behind such acts. The Pahalgam attack destroys any pretense that terrorists in the Kashmir Valley are merely 'freedom fighters' or 'misguided youth.' The calculated nature of asking victims their religion before killing them points to a clear Islamist supremacist ideology—one that views Hindus as legitimate targets in a broader jihadist war. It reflects an entrenched mindset, cultivated over decades through radical indoctrination, foreign influence, and a complete absence of accountability within certain sections of society.
This kind of violence is not new, but what makes the current moment especially alarming is the growing frequency and boldness of such acts. From Kerala to West Bengal, to UP to Delhi to Jammu & Kashmir, there is a growing list of terror plots, lone-wolf attacks, and targeted killings—all exhibiting a pattern that should no longer be ignored. The pattern is simple yet horrifying: identify the religion, target the Hindu. What we are witnessing is not isolated pockets of extremism, but an ideological war that has spilled into the mainstream. It has found sympathizers on social media, political apologists who refuse to name the perpetrators, and even international actors who sanitize the narrative under the garb of human rights.
Hindus in India—traditionally the majority and long perceived as secure—must awaken to the shifting ground beneath them. The idea that majority status guarantees safety is a myth that has been brutally shattered, whether in the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s or in more recent attacks like the one in Pahalgam. The Indian state has indeed taken commendable steps in strengthening its anti-terror capabilities, yet societal awareness and communal unity are equally important. The first step towards protecting the Hindu community from such targeted acts is to recognize that they are being targeted because of their religious identity.
This is not a call for communal hatred or a rejection of India's pluralistic ethos—it is a plea for realism. The threat posed by radical Islamism cannot be fought by hiding behind euphemisms or political correctness. It requires clarity of thought, firm state action, and above all, an empowered society that refuses to look the other way. Hindus must demand accountability from the state, strengthen community vigilance, and support law enforcement in rooting out terror networks. They must also shed the burden of false guilt that often prevents them from speaking up when they are the victims.
The Pahalgam terror attack is not just a tragedy—it is a warning. A warning that the ideological war against Hindus is not hypothetical, not distant, and certainly not over. The forces behind it are emboldened, well-funded, and determined. Only a resolute, united, and clear-eyed society can resist them. In the face of such targeted hate, silence is not secularism—it is surrender.
Uday India Bureau
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