It remains a painful puzzle to this day, as to how the armed assailants were able to enter the area undetected, wilfully select victims and leave undetected after one of the most heinous acts of terror by non-state actors in the region in recent years. Joining all democratic organizations across the country, NAPM resolutely denounced these brutal killings, protested and mourned the loss of lives of innocent civilians. Nothing can lessen the pain and trauma that their families have been subject to. They deserve all our support and solidarity, in their quest for justice. We also condemn the vicious right-wing trolling that some of the women from the aggrieved families faced, since they unambiguously rejected weaponization of their trauma to inflict hate against innocent Muslims and Kashmiris. They deserve our salutes.

This exceptionally tragic incident is rife with security lapses for which the Indian people remain without answers, even a month later! Kashmir is the most militarised zone on earth. The Central government has taken full control of security and has clamped down on all forms of dissent in the valley, particularly since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. This has effectively curtailed basic democratic rights in Kashmir in the name of fighting terror and bringing “development” to the valley. The major security lapse in Pahalgam exposes the shortcomings of the securitisation centric approach.

Over the past four weeks, pointed questions have been asked of the Union Govt, in this context.

• How was it possible for 4 heavily armed terrorists to enter the popular tourist destination?

• Why were no security personnel present at the Baisaran meadow?

• How is it possible that the terrorists had the amount of time they did to conduct the bloody massacre at Baisaran?

• How were the terrorists able to leave the area undetected and un-apprehended?

• How is it that despite their identities being known from the day following the massacre, that Indian forces have failed to apprehend them till today?

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor there have been over 100 recorded incidents of intimidation, assault and hate speech by Hindutva vigilantes Indian citizens of Kashmir as well as those belonging to the Muslim community. We have also witnessed attempts to politicise the role of the military and spread communal poison, not just from licensed media houses but also from the highest ranks of the political establishment. This includes a sitting Cabinet Minister from Madhya Pradesh calling Colonel Sofia Qureshi as being a “sister of terrorists”, and the Deputy Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh’s insulting statement of the Indian military “bowing at Modijis feet”.

NAPM demands a thorough investigation be conducted and its findings be made public at the earliest. The Home Minister’s Office is directly accountable for the deaths of these 26 people. The Minister in charge must respect the responsibility of his office or step down from it.

We feel it is important to position ourselves clearly against jingoism and war mongering, asking who benefits and who stands to lose from wars. We must critically analyze the foreign policy setbacks in the wake of terror attacks & war, understand the intertwined politics of Pahalgam & Operation Sindoor, challenge hate misinformation campaigns of mainstream media, resist use of water as tool of war and stop criminalization of sane voices prioritizing political over militarized responses, as a long term way forward. The current statement addresses some of these complex issues in detail.

As a pan-Indian alliance of working-class people’s movements, we clearly position ourselves against war and call for peaceful resolution of political conflicts. NAPM demands:

1. Accountability for the security lapses that led to the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam on the 22^nd of April. A thorough investigation must be conducted and its findings made public at the earliest.

2. All efforts must be made to increase the scope and ambit of democracy in Kashmir. This includes, but is not limited to, restoring statehood, building trust, and protecting fundamental rights and freedoms of people in the region.

3. That the Indian government release a White Paper on Operation Sindoor, making public the details of the military actions conducted, including losses to ensure level headed assessment and ensure accountability of actions.

4. That both India and Pakistan make all efforts to avoid war or any direct military confrontation, in particular nuclear war. Both states must engage in diplomacy and dialogue to resolve all issues.

5. Indian Govt must end its reliance on repressive methods to quell democratic assertions in Kashmir. Govt of Pakistan must pro-actively act against terrorist outfits operating from its soil. Both countries must work towards demilitarisation of the region and deepening of democracy.

6. That the conduct of Indian news media (particularly TV channels) be investigated by an independent tribunal. If it is found that these platforms ran fake news and conducted misinformation campaigns, then their broadcast licenses must be cancelled and their ownership penalised.

7. The Indus Water Treaty must be reinstated and both states must use it for common civilian good, including but not limited to measures to tackle climate change.

It seems evident to us that hindutva regime in power has sought to use military campaigns to achieve its own, domestic political ends. They’ve shown willingness to risk all out war through actions that trade off strategic national interest for the sake of protecting a muscular image primarily to boost their own image as tough leaders. As a result of fundamentalist politics on both sides of the border, we foresee a worrying future being born as a result of such actions wherein South Asia will be beset with frequent military escalation, with an ever looming threat of war. This will result in the politicisation of military action in India to drastically reduce the democratic space in the country. This calls for a robust response from civil society members and all peace loving citizens of both India and Pakistan to mobilise for a strong anti-war movement in both countries.

The interests of both – the Pakistani security establishment (defacto rulers of Pakistan) and the Hindutva regime in power in India, are inimical to the interests of common people on either side of the border. In light of the political challenge these events throw up, it is necessary for democratic and progressive forces both in India and Pakistan and across South Asia, to organise and strengthen robust anti-war movements. The everyday concerns of ordinary people of both regions must gain ground over war-cries that do not benefit anyone. Let us strive to build narratives in favour of peace, justice and accountability and challenge military aggression, hate and terror.

Issued by:
National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)