An Unending Menace

The bloodshed in Pahalgam, one of Kashmir’s most serene and treasured tourist destinations, has once again exposed a grim reality: the menace of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and radical Islamic terrorism is far from over. Despite repeated efforts at both diplomatic and military levels, Pakistan-backed terror groups continue to operate with impunity, inflicting violence on civilians, tourists, and security forces alike. It is a sobering reminder that while India has made significant strides in counterterrorism, the threat remains dynamic and demands constant vigilance.

In the aftermath of the 2019 Pulwama attack, India had decisively responded with the Balakot air strikes, signalling a new, muscular doctrine of counterterrorism. Yet, the Pahalgam incident raises uncomfortable questions about the long-term effectiveness of that deterrence. Terrorist infiltration has continued, intelligence lapses persist, and terrorist attacks, though reduced compared to the pre-2019 years, have not been eradicated. According to Ministry of Home Affairs data, from August 2019 to December 2023, Kashmir witnessed over 560 terrorist incidents and the martyrdom of more than 150 security personnel. Each life lost underscores the need for a more robust, sustainable security framework.

Importantly, while outrage over attacks is natural, it is vital to avoid falling into Pakistan’s well-laid trap of communal polarisation. Islamabad has long sought to create unrest between India’s religious communities, painting Kashmiris either as victims or villains to fracture India’s social harmony. That design must be resisted with maturity and firmness. The enemy is not the ordinary Kashmiri striving for peace and prosperity but the machinery of terrorism that operates across the Line of Control (LoC), exploiting vulnerabilities in infiltration grids and internal security arrangements.

India’s counter-infiltration mechanisms are still a work in progress, despite multiple wake-up calls. After the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, a renewed fencing and security project was initiated along sensitive stretches of the border. Yet, revised deadlines and implementation delays have plagued the project. Terrain and weather challenges are formidable, particularly in high-altitude areas where snow and rugged geography make surveillance and fencing operations extraordinarily difficult. However, these challenges demand innovation, not excuses.

India must urgently invest in cutting-edge border security technologies—thermal imaging, ground penetrating radars, drone surveillance, and AI-based motion detectors—to build an impermeable grid. Israel’s security model, based on technology-driven early warning systems and rapid response teams, offers critical lessons. Simply hunting terrorists once they have infiltrated the complex landscape of Jammu and Kashmir is a far tougher proposition than preventing them from entering in the first place.

The situation is made even more favourable for India today by Pakistan’s growing diplomatic isolation. Islamabad faces economic collapse, internal political turmoil, and increasing scepticism from the international community regarding its duplicity on terrorism. Its standing with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) remains fragile. Yet, India must recognise that the West, particularly Washington, often treats Pakistan as a “weapon on hire,” preserving a transactional relationship rather than truly holding it accountable. Hence, while India’s diplomatic offensive must continue — including exposing Pakistan’s duplicity in global forums — it cannot rely on foreign capitals to solve its security challenges.

The Pahalgam attack also exposes lapses closer to home. Despite the heavy paramilitary presence typically deployed at tourist hotspots, eyewitness accounts from Baisaran suggest that no forces were visibly stationed there at the time of the incident. This absence is not just a tactical failure but a severe breach of public trust. Tourist safety in Kashmir, especially in iconic areas like Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Sonmarg, must be non-negotiable. The government must demand clear accountability, trace command failures, and plug operational gaps without resorting to mere bureaucratic firefighting.

Crucially, we must remember: the problem is not Kashmir or Kashmiris. It is terrorism and the gaps in our security architecture. By demonising an entire religion, we would only alienate the very people whose support is indispensable in the fight against radicalism. Kashmir’s vibrant tourism industry, which has seen a record revival post-2019, must be protected at all costs. Pahalgam, often called the “mini-Switzerland of India,” must not be allowed to become a ghost valley haunted by fear and insecurity. Tourism is not just an economic activity; it is a bridge between Kashmir and the rest of India, fostering integration and goodwill.

While standing firmly behind the government’s military, diplomatic, and internal security measures, public pressure must also push for reform and improvement. Demanding accountability is not anti-national; it is the highest form of patriotism. It ensures that tragedies like Pahalgam do not repeat, that soldiers’ sacrifices are honoured through better strategy, and that India’s tryst with peace and prosperity is not derailed by complacency.

Moreover, as radical groups evolve with technology—spreading propaganda through encrypted apps, radicalising youth through online sermons—our counterterrorism approach must evolve too. Cyber intelligence units must be strengthened to detect and dismantle these new-age terror networks. Counter-radicalisation programs, community policing, and deradicalisation centres must form an essential pillar of our internal security doctrine.

At this critical juncture, India must adopt a decisive, multi-pronged strategy. Strengthening border security through tech-driven counter-infiltration grids must be the foremost priority, preventing terrorists from breaching the Line of Control. Simultaneously, New Delhi must maintain a relentless diplomatic offensive, further isolating Pakistan on the global stage. At home, demanding accountability is essential to ensure operational efficiency, but it must be done without politicising terror attacks or weakening institutional morale. Protecting and promoting Kashmir’s tourism economy should be a strategic focus as well, preserving it as a vibrant symbol of normalcy and national integration. Furthermore, India must fortify its internal intelligence and cyber capabilities to counter the increasingly hybrid and digital nature of terror threats. Equally important is investing in deradicalisation programs and fostering community engagement. Only through such an integrated, forward-looking approach can India truly defeat the forces that seek to destabilise it.

For this, a shift from reactive to a pre-emptive security architecture anchored in intelligence-led operations is imperative. This requires operationalising a unified National Counterterrorism Centre empowered to coordinate across intelligence, police, and military domains. Inter-agency silos must give way to seamless real-time data sharing, especially via the Multi-Agency Centre, which needs deeper integration at the district level in high-risk zones like Jammu & Kashmir. Our adversaries exploit institutional gaps—India must close them with speed and precision. Advanced algorithmic surveillance, AI-driven threat mapping, and predictive policing must become standard tools. Counterterrorism today is not just about boots on the ground, but brains behind the screen—networked, data-rich, and relentlessly focused.

The battle for Kashmir is not just territorial; it is civilizational. It is a battle between an India that believes in pluralism, progress, and peace, and forces of darkness that thrive on hate, fear, and division. Standing united, investing in smart security, and refusing to be provoked into internal fractures are the surest ways to defeat the Lashkar-e-Taiba and its patrons.

India’s dream of peace in Kashmir is no illusion. It is a reality waiting to be built — brick by brick, with courage, strategy, and unbreakable national will.

Prof. Sony Kunjappan is the Head, Dept. of Studies in Social Management, Central University of Gujarat, and Amal Chandra is an author, political analyst and columnist. Views expressed are personal