Kashmir, Kashmiris, and the politics of retribution

THERE WAS A COMPLETE HARTAL AS SHOPS, HOTELS, COLLEGES, SCHOOLS CLOSED TO EXPRESS SYMPATHY WITH THE VICTIMS AND ALL POLITICAL PARTIES, WHETHER IN POWER OR OPPOSITION, TOOK OUT RALLIES IN CONDEMNATION OF THE TERRORISTS.

- Karan Thapar

Most of us know a lot about the terror attack at Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor and the four-day 'war'. We've made it our business to find out. But there are other facts that happened during this period we're woefully ignorant of.

The Association for Protection of Civil Rights reports that between April 27 and May 8 there were 184 anti-Muslim attacks of various sorts all over India. They comprise 19 acts of vandalism, 39 assaults, 42 incidents of harassment and 84 incidents of hate speech. It's believed that 106 were 'triggered' by Pahalgam. The majority happened in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra.

Are these facts unknown to us because it's now commonplace to target Kashmiris and other Muslims? Have they become punching bags for our impatience, frustration and anger? Why aren't we infuriated to learn of them?