THE serenity of Kashmir was broken yet again – this time in a way that strikes deeper than before. An assault on domestic tourists in Pahalgam, one of the most picturesque corners of the valley, has left at least 28 people dead and many others critically injured. The brutality and targeting in this April 22 incident mark a stark and unsettling departure from the trajectory of recent years, during which civilian attacks had seemingly decreased. But this violence shreds any illusion of stability and forces us to confront uncomfortable questions.
For decades, the Kashmir conflict has unfolded in a tragic loop of militancy, military presence and political steps. But tourists – especially domestic ones – have largely been spared from the direct line of fire. They were, in some sense, treated as guests even by those who opposed the Indian state.
