The Pulwama incident, hastily blamed on Pakistan, has long been questioned by observers and analysts who believe it served more as a political tool than a genuine security breach.
Despite no concrete evidence linking Pakistan to the attack, the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, used it to ignite nationalist sentiments ahead of Bihar elec-tions.
This strategy was part of a broader pattern: the exploitation of fear and hostility to distract from domestic unrest and economic challenges.
Narendra Modi’s political roots are firmly tied to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization that has long advocated for a majoritarian India.
His rise to power was marked by incendiary rhetoric against Muslims and Pakistan, which many hoped he would abandon in favour of statesmanship.
However, his governance has instead rein-forced religious polarization and widened communal divides.
The abrogation of Article 370, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, was a glaring example of the state’s increasing authoritarian grip on a region already marred by decades of conflict.
The situation in India-occupied Kashmir is deeply troubling.
Reports from Amnesty Interna-tional, Human Rights Watch and UN special rapporteurs have highlighted mass detentions, enforced disappearances, communication blackouts and the use of excessive force.
Thou-sands of Kashmiris remain in custody without trial and restrictions on media and civil liber-ties have made it nearly impossible for independent voices to be heard.
Beyond Kashmir, India’s Muslim population continues to face systemic discrimination and violence.
The 2020 Delhi riots, in which dozens were killed and hundreds injured, saw disturbing allegations of police complicity and targeted attacks on Muslim neighborhoods.
The memories of the 2002 Gujarat riots, during Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister, still haunt many, as justice for victims remains elusive.
Meanwhile, organizations like Bajrang Dal—often described as the militant wing of the BJP—have been implicated in attacks on religious minorities and places of worship, including churches and mosques.
These actions point to a broader ideological campaign to enforce Hindutva—a vision of India as an exclusively Hindu nation.
This not only undermines India’s secular constitution but also violates international norms on minority rights and religious freedom.
The use of state institutions to marginalize, surveil and intimidate dissenters and minority communities reflects a dangerous shift toward authoritarianism.
Pakistan, while committed to regional peace, cannot ignore the plight of Kashmiris and the deepening crisis across the border.
It is crucial that the international community holds India accountable for crimes against humanity and presses for an end to systemic persecution.
Sustainable peace in South Asia depends not on military might, but on dialogue, justice and the protection of fundamental human rights.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Faisalabad. (ranazahid4@gmail.com)
