After bloodbath in meadow: Country needs to pause, think and act

The savagery at Baisaran meadows by Islamist terrorists is reminiscent of ISIS's brutality in dealing with their hostages.

- YASHOVARDHAN AZAD Former Central Information Commissioner and former Secretary (Security) and Special Director, Intelligence Bureau

The massacre of 26 men in front of their wives and children—that too along religious lines—was spine-chilling. A brave local Muslim also died a hero protecting the tourists. While the five terrorists melted away into the forests nearby, the nation was left dumbstruck in grief. The gut-wrenching wails have now fallen silent to a pall of gloom on the misty pine woods.

After the initial outrage, questions over accountability are bound to be raised in public discourse. Was it an intelligence failure or smugness on the part of security forces? There were intelligence inputs of terrorists conducting reconnaissance in the area, checking hotels and familiarising themselves with the topography.

With the valley vibrant with the colours of spring, tourists come in hordes. A record 2 crore tourists visited J&K last year—a great message to the international community that Kashmir welcomed all and sundry. All nakas and bandobast covered the Pahalgam area, but not the 6 km above to Baisaran, which falls in Anantnag district. The absence of a visible security presence in such a high-value area, despite prior inputs, is not just troubling—it is a lapse.