In the end, the terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, highlights India’s ongoing domestic safety problems. Similar situations will inevitably result unless the Indian state stops assigning blame to Pakistan and addresses its personal organisational problems.
Unsurprisingly, the Narendra Modi government’s first response was to blame Pakistan, a motif in India’s deft security narrative. In fact, an American security agency placed Pakistan on hold without providing any supporting evidence on social media until only five minutes after the incident was reported.
The TRF, an armed group struggling for India’s independence, claims responsibility for the attack. Treatment was established directly in response to the American government’s decision to revoke Kashmir’s semi-autonomous standing in 2019. In 2023, India labeled TRF a criminal business.
The Pahalgam killings highlight a number of grave realities, including a sophisticated failure of India’s home security system, a complacency mindset that predominates in its intelligence assessments, and an obvious institutional error.
The Modi president’s unusual attendance of its failing is probably the first instance of this to occur in more than a decade, highlighting how grave the security issues at Pahalgam were. The attack was more recent than one of a number of recent incidents involving American security, no one particular incident.
The 3rd Rashtriya Rifles of the Indian Army, the Central Reserve Police Force ( CRPF), and Jammu & Kashmir Police form a three-tiered security structure in Kashmir. Within a 15 to 20-minute period, the attackers, who were wearing American Army uniforms, retreated to the Pahalgam hotel, fired around 40 shots, and avoided being captured without engaging any security forces.
It is certainly concerning that attackers in a heavily guarded area was so quickly obtain Indian Army outfits. The safety loss in a holiday getaway, where over 1, 000 people visit each day, is highlighted by the lack of security cameras, drones, or basic medical response systems.
The CRPF’s lengthy response, which required more than an hour to cover seven kilometers due to inadequate infrastructure, epitomized operating chaos. The Indian state’s lack of preparation was highlighted by the patients ‘ transport by customers and pony operators.
Terror problems have occurred in the area before, but that’s not all. Ten problems have occurred in the area before Pahalgam since the 1990s. The government’s justification for allowing terrorists to avoid tourists because of their monetary significance is now blatantly flawed, which more underlines the government’s risky disconnect from reality.
Additionally, it demonstrates a more general preference for social narratives over experimental risk assessments. Despite knowledge inquiries regarding potential risks, Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley has been open to visitors since 2020. The drama was made possible by this façade of civility in a region plagued by violence.  ,
On the one hand, Modi’s government has actively promoted Kashmir as a safe tourist destination, using visitor statistics to refute claims that everything is fine when it isn’t. It failed to take any essential safety measures in order to accommodate the growing number of people visiting the area.
The assault has ravaged the victims ‘ families and endangered peace and security in the area by triggering tensions with Pakistan. India announced its punitive detention of the Indus Waters Treaty following the incident, which Pakistan has claimed it views as an “act of warfare.” In recent days, forces have exchanged gunshot across the border, increasing the likelihood of a new armed conflict.
The accusations made by the American media that a previous Pakistani para commando was involved in the Pahalgam attack lack credible evidence and appear to be a product of a blatant propaganda campaign to blame Pakistan and divert attention away from India’s personal security problems.
India may invite an impartial third party, such as the UN, to individually examine the incident and uncover its findings more than spreading false and dangerous claims. Unsupported allegations run the risk of escalating tensions between the two nuclear powers, putting in a risk of provincial, if not even world, peace.
During the Pahalgam assault, India totally disintegrated its usually praised Unified Command program in Kashmir. The adversaries ‘ unseen ingress and egress have revealed significant shortcomings in inter-agency coordination and security.
Pointing the finger at Pakistan cannot conceal these shortcomings, which are currently obvious to the American people.
India may take at least three quick steps to prevent future traumas similar to this. To regain its trust at home and abroad, it must conduct an independent investigation into the security services ‘ shortcomings and have the findings be made public.
Second, it needs to update intelligence-sharing methods to ensure that, despite claims that relative, there is no such thing as real-time collaboration among companies. In order to prevent at-risk areas like Kashmir, it must allocate resources to equipment, including rapid-response units, tracking systems, and medical removal systems.
The Pahalgam event may serve as a call to action for India and its security companies. The incident could lead to a wider and potentially fatal fight unless the state stops shifting responsible to Pakistan and addresses its unique organisational problems.
The cost of safety is vigilance, and India has consistently neglected to accomplish this duty to its citizens. More than vengeance, it is the cost of security. Before India’s safety woes cause a local security crisis, that may change.
Marriyam Siddique is a senior research fellow at Pakistan’s Pakistan Navy War College ( Lahore ), Pakistan’s Maritime Centre of Excellence. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s only.