TERROR IN PAHALGAM! #BLOGCHATTERA2ZCHALLENGE
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The Kashmir Valley has been stained red, yet again!
It is heartbreaking to see the visuals coming on the television after the dastardly attack by terrorists in the scenic locale of Baisaran, Pahalgam, in Kashmir, a place often referred to as mini-Switzerland. Using AK 47 rifles, they opened fire on a group of tourists who were enjoying themselves, most of whom had taken a well-deserved break away from their busy lives.
The terrorists walked out of the woods and segregated the men
from the women, asked them their religion and demanded that the men recite
Islamic prayers. Those who could not were identified as Hindus and shot in
front of their terrified family members. When one bereaved woman pleaded with
them to kill her as well, one of the killers told her brusquely to go and give
the Indian Prime Minister a warning.
28 Indians from across the country were killed in this
mindless attack. Businessmen, officers from the IB, the Indian Air Force and
the Navy, newly weds, and even a resident of Pahalgam were all victims. The
perpetrators were in Indian Army uniforms.
The attack has stunned the whole of India. Citizens are
protesting as the country stands, outraged, burning effigies and blaming
Pakistan.
Kashmir has been at the forefront of terrorism over the
decades. It is only in the recent past that things had settled down and the
tourism industry had started flourishing. Last year saw a record turnout as
tourists returned to this picturesque state.
This was the most unkindest cut of all!
In my first book titled 'Arms and the Woman' (Rupa Publishers, Delhi), I had
referred to terrorists as belonging to no country, having no sentiments, because
they have been so deeply indoctrinated in hatred and blind faith. They turn
into lethal killing machines, mercenary to the hilt. They behave like puppets,
their strings pulled by master puppeteers sitting in another country.
The Home Minister met the mourning families, assuring them of a strong retaliation to the attack, as well as offering compensation for those gunned down and the injured.
Unfortunately, a life lost is a life lost forever. A
bereaved family grieves for a lifetime. Survivors carry the wounds in their
hearts, often also the guilt of having survived when others have not.
We sit in front of the television in Johannesburg, trying
to take in the enormity of what has happened. Scene after scene is replayed -
the sudden shots, the terrified victims caught in the gunfire, the trauma of having
loved ones gunned down, the screams and the tears, the names of the dead, and
their back stories... heartrending accounts that stress on the ephemeral nature
of life.
'Shadows Never Lie' (Readomania Publishers), my third book in the Shadow series,
has a story titled 'The Survivor ' based on terrorism in the Kashmir valley,
where a group kills Kashmiri Pandits on one Republic Day. The story was based
on true accounts for the Valley has been victim to so much of bloodshed and
suffering.
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I glance at Zo and Sam, two little ones, who are growing
up in a world of chaos, where countries attack other countries, religious wars
are fought and innocents get caught in a crossfire in battles that are not of
their making. It sets me thinking. If only there could be a master plan in
which only the wicked could be punished for their nefarious deeds. It is the
killing of innocents that wrenches the heart, the visuals of little children
and women who suffer from hunger, anguish and helplessness, as well as the fear
of violence and molestation.
As the old saying goes, "An eye for an eye makes the
whole world blind." Mahatma Gandhi
https://deepties.blogspot.com/2025/04/terror-in-pahalgam-blogchattera2zchalle.html
This is absolutely gut-wrenching. The pain, the loss, and the helplessness just radiate through every word. It's hard to find hope in moments like these, but pieces like this help keep the conversation human and heartfelt.
ReplyDelete"Unfortunately, a life lost is a life lost forever. A bereaved family grieves for a lifetime."
— simple, stark, and impossibly heavy.