Kashmir is probably the most heavily guarded place in the world today, surrounded by security forces and the army. The ratio of security personnel to the population is such that you can hardly escape detection. In fact, one security officer is deployed for every fifteen citizens. With even a toy gun, you might be able to hide for a couple of hours at most. The checkpoints and the vigilance of the security forces make evading their watch incredibly difficult.
While it doesn’t take long to get arrested for any wrongdoings, the question arises: how did the militants manage to carry out successful attacks with such heavy weaponry, RDX bombs, and so on, all while managing to fool the intelligence agencies? Isn’t that a cause for suspicion? But more than suspicions, it’s the bodies of the dead that reveal the painful reality to the world.
If you look at the list of the deceased, you’ll find that ordinary tourists are few and far between. Among the dead are government officers, intelligence agents, naval personnel, and foreign tourists, including citizens of Italy and Israel. Doesn’t this raise some doubts? Among the 26 bodies, only one was of a local, a Muslim. If the death toll rises to 260, perhaps the fire of violence will subside—this was the declaration from Shubhendu.
Skeptics say that the 28 innocent Indians lost their lives to uphold the changed Waqf laws. Everywhere, innocent people have to pay the price for the sins of the powerful. The line of bodies, stemming from this tragedy, may only grow longer. How brutally innocent people were harmed in the name of politics is a disgrace and should be condemned in the strongest terms. How has human compassion eroded to such an extent?
Militants’ targets are never ordinary people. They have always aimed at military installations and forces. The attack in Kashmir took place while Modi was in Saudi Arabia. Both Netanyahu of Israel and Trump of the United States expressed their solidarity. Yet these three leaders have blood on their hands, having caused the most suffering. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy, and the cries of the dead should stir the conscience of the world.
Trump once dreamt of building a resort in Gaza. Is Kashmir next on the map for a second Trump resort? Will this become another battleground for Muslim annihilation? Hitler was once seen as a peaceful figure by the Nazis. Mussolini was revered as a god by fascists. But even murderers label their victims as terrorists. The world is now bleeding under the constant gunfire. Countless lives are being lost, falling like leaves from the tree of life.
Every murder is condemnable. Even the most notorious criminal has the right to fair trial. Those on the path to death deserve to know the reason for their demise. The culprits must be identified and brought to justice. Public executions may be necessary. Terrorists have no religion, nationality, or country. Jihadists are not foolish enough to ask someone’s religion or recite a religious creed before they kill. Such ideas might have been relevant fifty years ago.
The ‘Khans’ are always labeled terrorists. The world will never call the butcher of Gujarat, the murderous Netanyahu, or the blood-sucking Bush a terrorist. It never has. Now, there is a real threat of severe communal violence in India. Even as tensions between India and Pakistan escalate, direct attacks are unlikely. Both countries are too shrewd for open warfare. The fighting will remain confined to verbal exchanges. More mosques will be destroyed, more attacks will be made on Waqf estates, and more innocent Indians will lose their lives. The streets will run red with blood. Minorities everywhere are victims of political terrorism, and this unfortunate reality will likely spread globally. Labeling someone as a terrorist is easy, but proving it is far harder. The enemies of truth will relentlessly pursue their false narratives. With neighboring countries like Pakistan and China, it’s easy to place blame. But the body count will never match the political rhetoric.
The atrocities that have been inflicted on the Kashmiris over the decades are nothing short of terrorist acts. It is no surprise that, when a people are shackled in such a manner, they eventually ignite with the fire of rebellion. Kashmir, the most beautiful place in the world, is drowning in blood. If the world becomes obsessed with greed, civilization cannot save them. Kashmir will continue its journey as a prison, despite its claim to be paradise on Earth. After Gaza, the world will have to prepare to mourn for Kashmir.
As the world watches, Canada must also reflect on its own values of peace, tolerance, and human rights. We, as a nation that prides itself on welcoming refugees and offering asylum, must lend our voices to those oppressed. With a diverse population and a strong history of peacekeeping, Canada is in a unique position to lead calls for a just solution in Kashmir, ensuring that human rights and dignity are respected, and that innocent lives are no longer lost to senseless violence.
