Govt. Misleads Opposition; Panjab Stands Up for Kashmiri Students

On 25 Apr, during the all party meeting convened by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister (HM) Amit Shah, the Indian opposition asked pointed questions on the security lapse in Pahalgam. With Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) still a Union Territory, the entire security of the region is under the union government. On 8 Apr, HM Shah had excluded the J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from the security review meeting. The Indian govt.replied that local tour operators began taking tourists to the Baisaran Valley from 20 Apr without local police permission, well before the security apparatus had been mobilized for the Amarnath pilgrimage season. The govt. misled the opposition because according to a J&K official, ‘police authorization has never been sought for the tourist spot, which is open throughout the year barring snowy months.’ Tour operators, tourists, pony riders and local officials in Pahalgam said that the vast grassland spread over two miles is open throughout the year. This points to a clear lapse on the part of the part of the union govt. despite its repeated claims on sealing the international borders. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his visit to Saudi Arabia and instead of meeting the families of victims, participating in meetings with opposition, addressing the nation, he went to campaign for upcoming Bihar elections. At Madhubani, Bihar he chose to speak a few words in English for the foreign media: ‘India will pursue the terrorists to the ends of the earth.’ Soon after the Pahalgam attack, Kashmiri students studying across India had to face taunts and attacks from right-wing Hindutva supporters in many states. However, Panjab's nuanced response—condemning the attack, protecting the students—once again demonstrated that it remains one of the most socially and communally stable states in India. There were several instances where groups or activists offered assistance to Kashmiri students in distress.