RESPONDING TO THE TERROR ATTACK IN PAHALGAM

India must embrace a framework of escalatory credibility — not escalation for its own sake, but the ability and willingness to impose pain through diplomatic, economic, and covert means when red lines are crossed

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The terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir is not just an act of brutality; it is a calculated political signal, carefully timed and deliberately chosen to inflict not only human casualties, but cause strategic disruption. Coming days after the Kashmir Valley had begun welcoming tourists as part of a fresh season, and while U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance tours India, this is not a random or desperate strike. It seems to be the continuation of a long-standing pattern of cross-border terrorism, directed and sustained by the Pakistani military-intelligence establishment. At a time when Pakistan had faded from India's diplomatic radar and foreign policy imagination, it is back: threatening to disrupt much of what we hold dear.

The attack took place in Baisaran, an alpine meadow which is often described as 'mini Switzerland'. The very setting — a site of picnics, pony rides, and often school excursions — make the images all the more harrowing. Videos of terrified tourists scrambling for safety, and bloodstained trails in a place known for its serenity, have left an indelible mark on public memory. It was not just a strike on innocent tourists; it was a deliberate assault on the idea of Kashmir as a safe and even sacred tourist space.

It also reflects a massive intelligence failure, and a lowering of the security vigil, which is deeply troubling. Pahalgam is a tourist hub; a gateway to the Amarnath shrine. The forces and agencies should have been on their guard. The drones and electronic surveillance infrastructure that India has invested in also seems to have been absent. While the intelligence failure may appear to not have been as colossal as it was in Kargil, it will have as deep a societal impact.