The local government has and will react to the massacre in the meadows of Pahalgam. The Union government will no doubt respond to it. The security establishment will retaliate in appropriate measure. As they all must, each in their own way. But it is not only about the government. What are the people of Kashmir to do? The massacre of tourists is as much against the government as it is against the people.
Every Kashmiri is shocked into silence and speechless in shame. He is grieving. She is mourning. They are burdened with self-reproach. He doesn’t have a face to show. She doesn’t have the heart to condone. They are numbed by the assault. The air hangs heavy with lament. Kashmir and Kashmiris today find it difficult to come to terms with this brutality.
He desires peace. She deserves peace. They demand peace.
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There has been an all-round condemnation as there always has been. Already, political parties, trade bodies, business associations and professional groups have protested against the inhuman carnage. The Valley observed a shutdown, a complete Kashmir bandh. All this is, of course, a must, but is it good enough? More needs to be done by the civil society of Kashmir. It is imperative to move beyond condemnation and disapproval.
True, the unprecedented boom in tourist activity has been cut short cruelly; the economic shock will pan out and linger on for months, if not years to come. The revival of trade and commerce, which accounts for 40 per cent of the local economy, has been suddenly and brutally cut short and the livelihood of lakhs of families has been seriously impaired. Last week, a hailstorm damaged and destroyed the apple crop and impaired the livelihood and prosperity of lakhs of Kashmiris. J&K is in for serious economic distress.
The recent surge in investment — official figures for investments in 2023-24 are almost Rs 3,500 crore with Rs 1.75 lakh crore in the works with the potential to create 6.06 lakh jobs — will now be in jeopardy. While there is a staggering economic loss, the real loss is much more. Kashmir can survive without the income from tourism, but it can’t live with its societal value system being as severely damaged and compromised as was done in Pahalgam.
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Tourists from all parts of the country, the backbone of this industry, are not just transactional beings for Kashmiris. Their presence has generated not just income but, over the years, also built robust and enduring social connections with the rest of the country. Indeed, as was recognised by the Amman Declaration in 2000, travel and tourism are the foremost global peace industry. Historically, in Kashmir, tourists have been ambassadors of socioeconomic integration with the mainland, respectful of differences and cultural diversity, which has resulted in the revitalisation and regeneration of native cultures.
The land of unparalleled beauty has borne witness to unspeakable pain. The Pahalgam massacre has cut through like a physical wound that will take a long time to heal. How can such brutality stain a place that is known for its humanity and hospitality? This was on display in full force even after the attack, with the locals carrying the injured on their backs to the hospitals. The massacre at Pahalgam has dimmed the light of the collective spirit of Kashmiris.
Yet, amidst the grief, the soul and sentiment of Kashmir must be articulated in more decisive and strident expressions. It can’t be a whisper of an appeal to the resilience and values of its people. The collective voice has to be raised against barbarity, thereby making it a decisive turning point. What is needed is a demonstration of complete unacceptability, a public expression of positive assertion against the blatant violation of the basic values, principles and social norms that have defined Kashmiri society for centuries.
The break from the immediate past of the past three decades and the building of an alternative narrative cannot only be political or governmental. It has to be social. There is a need for civic engagement, ensuring the involvement of individuals as members of the liberal and tolerant society that Kashmir has historically been. The foundation of a social movement for peace, with dignity and development alongside, but distinct from the ongoing political efforts by all stakeholders, has to be laid by the masses. The engagement of people at the grassroots in the process of peace activism has to be based on conviction and values, not ideologies. Such a people’s initiative will not be a reaction to episodic violent events, but proactive and enduring with a multi-generational engagement.
Run through civil-society networks, such a movement will mobilise campaigns by reaffirming and spreading collective values and beliefs. The public expressions of outrage and positive assertion must reverberate from all institutions of civil society, be they shrines, schools or mosques. It is the soul of Kashmir that has been bruised, battered, and sinned against in Pahalgam. The atonement in private sought by every Kashmiri today will become a collective effort for a peaceful, liberal and tolerant society. From there, a people’s narrative will emerge.
In parallel, it needs to be proactively ensured that the estranged relationship manifesting itself as distrust and disconnect between the state and society is obliterated. The state’s assertiveness and authority depend on its efficacy. This, in turn, earns legitimacy and compliance and forms a strong social contract between the two. Neither the state nor civil society can deliver in isolation. Civil society has to ensure that ethnic, racial and religious identities do not become reasons for contention.
The writer is former finance minister of Jammu & Kashmir
