Loud and clear: A boatman holding a placard against the Pahalgam tourist attack, at Dal Lake in Srinagar. — AFP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to punish all those responsible for the worst attack on civilians in Kashmir for a quarter of a century.
India has accused Pakistan of supporting “cross-border terrorism” after the killing of 26 men in the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam on Tuesday, plunging relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours to their lowest level in years.
“I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,” he said in his first speech since the attack in the Himalayan region.
“We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth”.
Modi, who was speaking in Bihar state to launch development projects, first led two minutes of silence in memory of those killed, who were all Indian, except one Nepali.
Pakistan, which denies any role in the Pahalgam attack, held a rare national security meeting yesterday after New Delhi issued a raft of punitive diplomatic measures.
That included suspending a water-sharing treaty, the closure of the main land border crossing with Pakistan and downgrading diplomatic ties.
Keeping an eye: Indian security force personnel talking to the local people at the site of the attack in Baisaran near Pahalgam. — Reuters
But the measures are largely symbolic, and some fear New Delhi’s diplomatic moves may just be an opening salvo – with the potential risk of military action.
“I say this unequivocally: whoever has carried out this attack, and the ones who devised it, will be made to pay beyond their imagination,” Modi said, speaking in Hindi in front of a large crowd.
“They will certainly pay. Whatever little land these terrorists have, it’s time to reduce it to dust. The willpower of 1.4 billion Indians will break the backbone of these terrorists.”
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both claiming the high-altitude territory in full but governing separate portions of it.
Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan. This week’s shooting marked a dramatic shift with the targeting of civilians, rather than smaller-scale attacks against Indian security forces, which are more common.
Modi finished his speech with rare comments in English, addressing an audience abroad.
“Terrorism will not go unpunished,” he said.
“Every effort will be made to ensure that justice is done.”
Indian security forces have launched a vast manhunt for the attackers, with large numbers of people detained in the operation.
Police have offered a two million rupee (RM103,000) bounty for several men, who they say are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, designated by the United Nations as a terrorist organisation.
A soldier was killed yesterday in clashes with gunmen at Basantgarh in Kashmir, the Indian army said.
But Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar appeared calm yesterday, with residents expressing shock at the attack – that has hit the region’s key tourist industry hard – and fear of what is to come.
“Everyone I have spoken to is heartbroken and shocked,” said Siddhi Wahid, a Kashmiri historian and political commentator.
Tuesday’s assault occurred as tourists enjoyed tranquil mountain views at the popular site at Pahalgam, when gunmen burst out of forests and raked crowds with automatic weapons.
The killings shocked residents of Kashmir, where militants fighting against Indian rule have rarely targeted tourists and have mainly mounted their attacks against Indian forces.
In a rare show of public outrage, Kashmiris – many of whom have roiled under an intense crackdown by Indian forces and New Delhi’s highhanded rule – took part in street protests and candle light marches in protest against the killings.
Markets, private schools and businesses were also shut on Wednesday amidst an uneasy calm as people worried that the attacks could drive away tourists and hurt the region’s economy. — Agencies
