Article: Pahalgam massacre: Modi’s blood politics
Shaikh Abdul Majid
Pahalgam, known as the “Mini Switzerland” , a symbol of Kashmir’s unmatched natural beauty, nestled among pine forests, lush green meadows and snow-clad mountains-has long been a favoured destination for tourists. However, this image was shattered once again when news broke that at least 27 civilians were killed in a horrific attack that occurred at Baisaran valley of Pahalgam – an incident that locals describe as a well-coordinated and mysterious massacre.
This is not an isolated tragedy. It is a continuation of India’s systematic campaign of engineered violence in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The bloodshed in Pahalgam fits into a disturbing pattern that has repeated itself across decades, often tied to strategic manipulation by Indian governments.
The Chattisinghpora massacre of March 2000, in which 35 Sikh’s were brutally killed just before US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India, is widely believed by locals and human rights groups to have been staged by Indian intelligence to discredit the Kashmiri freedom movement. No credible investigation has ever brought the truth to light, and the incident was exploited to falsely attribute blame and justify harsh crackdowns, arrests and innocent millings.
Similarly, the Pulwama attack in February 2019, which claimed the lives of 40 Indian paramilitary personnels, coincidentally occurred right before general elections in India. It sparked jingoistic frenzy across Indian media and society, handing Prime Minister Modi the perfect political windfall. Later, several questions were raised about security lapses, lack of accountability, and the suspicious timing of the event particularly by then governor of Jammu and Kashmir Stay Pak Malik.
Pahalgam now joins this grim list. The hallmarks of state complicity, such as sudden escalation, lack of transparency, and immediate blame-shifting without evidence, strongly suggest that this massacre too may have been planned by Indian authorities to serve a broader political and diplomatic narrative.
Narendra Modi has built his political brand on Hindutva, using fear, hatred, and enemy creation as tools of governance. Each act of violence in Kashmir is spun by his regime to depict India as a victim of terror and Kashmiris as aggressors.
With mounting pressure over India’s declining democratic image, human rights violations in Kashmir, international scrutiny from bodies like the UN, OIC, and global civil society, the Modi regime benefits from a diversion and tragedies like the one in Pahalgam offer just that. They generate sympathy at the global stage, unite domestic voters under the banner of Hindutva, and justify further military crackdowns, arrests, media censorship, and oppression of Kashmiri voices.
Within hours of the Pahalgam attack, Indian mainstream media had begun framing the narrative—blaming Pakistan without any investigation or evidence. Kashmiri voices on the ground are silenced, and international journalists are barred from visiting sensitive areas to unveil the truth. This is part of a larger strategy, control the narrative so that the truth of India’s actions in Kashmir never reaches the global conscience. Victims are dehumanized, reduced to numbers, and any dissent is painted as “anti-national.” It is a textbook case of state propaganda overpowering reality.
The massacre in Pahalgam is not just a tragedy, it is a crime against humanity. The international community has a moral responsibility to demand an independent international investigation into the Pahalgam killings and others too, the restoration of fundamental rights in Jammu and Kashmir, immediate cessation of militarization and repression, and recognition of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, as enshrined in multiple UN resolutions.
From Chattisinghpora to Pulwama, and now Pahalgam, the Indian state under Narendra Modi has shown a chilling willingness to sacrifice lives for political mileage. Modi’s hands are soaked in the blood of innocents from Gujrat to Kashmir, earning him the label “Modi the Butcher”.
The world must wake up and realize. These are not accidents. These are calculated moves in a long and brutal campaign to crush Kashmiris, suppress truth, and manufacture political and diplomatic capital. Justice demands not only remembrance of the victims but the exposure and accountability of those in power who orchestrate or allow these atrocities for their own gain.
