Time for Kashmiris to say a decisive no to Pakistan's agenda

THE April 22 Pahalgam massacre wasn't just an act of terrorism -- it was a calculated punishment. Pakistan struck back at Kashmiris for choosing peace, prosperity, and stability after the abrogation of Article 370.

- DEEPIKA BHAN

Pakistan believes that it has avenged Kashmiris for making a conscious choice after the abrogation of Article 370 -- choosing the path of prosperity and stability.

The April 22 Pahalgam massacre was not only an attempt to stoke religious tensions in the country but also a punishment for Kashmiris who have rejected the path Pakistan tried to chart for them in furthering the two-nation theory.

For over three decades, Pakistan has played a deadly game in the Valley. Initially, it succeeded. The wave of terrorism unleashed a reign of tyranny. Kashmiri society -- once known for its secular, harmonious, and conservative values with Sufism at its core -- was torn apart and divided into Hindus and Muslims, proand anti-India, hardline and religiously radicalised.

Cloaked in religious rhetoric, the assertion of a unique Kashmiri identity was converted into a so-called movement for 'Azadi'. The real plot was clear -- the radicalisation of the Valley was designed to align Kashmir with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which has always regarded it as its "jugular vein."

Pakistan's agents in this 'mission' were the Hurriyat Conference and various terrorist outfits. At one point, nearly a dozen terrorist groups were operating in the Valley, with Pakistan encouraging competition among them to be the most extreme.

Over the years, thousands of Kashmiris have lost their lives to terror, most killed by terrorists. Hundreds of schools and educational institutions were burned down.