“Go tell Modi” says terrorist to Pallavi. What will Modi do?

Yesterday, April 22, 2025, at 2.30 pm the Pahalgam in Kashmir Valley reverberated with the sounds of terrorist gunshots killing 28 tourists — two of them foreigners and the rest Hindus. One of those killed was from Karnataka, a Shivamogga realtor, Manjunatha Rao. He was holidaying with his wife Pallavi and son Abhijit Rao. According to Pallavi, when she pleaded with the terrorists to kill her and her son also the terrorists told her: “Go tell Modi” and spared them.

Yesterday’s terrorist attack has belied the rhetoric of the apologists of terrorism that terrorism has no religion. However, yesterday non-Muslims were identified and killed. This exposes the fact that terrorism in India has religion and Hindus are its target.

According to TV reports there were protests from Bihar to Jammu against this terror attack. But what about other parts of India? Like in the past, after a few days this terror attack too will be forgotten while the security too will become lax.

Some TV channels reported that our forces are preparing for retribution, whatever it means! The usual bombasts under such situations are always heard — perpetrators of this evil will not be spared. India will rise to resolve to punish and defeat the patrons and perpetrators of this terrorist attack.

Yes, The Resistance Front, a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group has claimed responsibility, according to reports. Now India should catch them if it can and justify its power to protect the life and liberty of its citizens.

In fact, a few months back our National Security Advisor  (NSA) Ajit Kumar Doval had warned Pakistan that if terrorist attack of the 26/11 kind happens the consequences would be deadly, or to that effect. Now is the time for him to prove what he had said was not a mere bravado but a statement of determination. Let us wait for the show of that  military prowess.

This morning, I was watching a few TV channels after browsing newspapers. The impression I got was that probably our Security Forces — Rashtriya Rifles, Army and the local Police etc., — would try to catch the 4-6 terrorists who, it was believed, were involved in this attack. Even if they catch one it would help find the mastermind and the handlers of these terrorists. Thereafter it would help plan the retaliation — its timing and nature of attack.

I saw a senior resident of Mysuru, Ravi Joshi, a retired RAW Officer and former Joint Secretary at the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, who occasionally writes for Star of Mysore, on TV-18 Kannada Channel this morning participating in a panel discussion, on this terror attack. According to him this attack must be from a new terrorist organisation that came after Article 370 was abrogated. A Resistance Front supported by Pakistan and the ISI. Its aim is to debilitate, destabilise Kashmir and thus make it a bankrupt State, he said adding that in the bargain Pakistan itself is getting bankrupt. Now, after the yesterday’s attack India is getting international sympathy and support. Therefore, Ravi Joshi says, we must wait and watch for India’s response.

There was another gentleman in the same panel Lt. Col (Retd.) V.M. Nayak. He thinks Pahalgam was a soft target for terrorists as it is a tourist paradise. This is a new kind of terrorism where civilians, tourists, are targeted. And the attack was directed towards non-Muslims, specially Hindus. This could be to create sensation. He also mentioned of the Pakistan Army Chief’s recent speech criticising Hinduism and Hindus as possible cause for the attack.

Surprisingly he was unhappy about the news media giving emphasis to the targeting of non-Muslims on the basis of religion which, according to him, may cause social disturbance. But in matter such as terrorism TRUTH so patent and revealing must be told so that the people of the religion so targeted may take necessary precaution to save themselves.

Ravi Joshi made a very significant point when he said that without local support it would be impossible to cross the border. These are the sleeper cells who support the terrorist infiltration from Pakistan. He felt one of the reasons for the revival of terrorism could be the policy of the government in allowing about 84,000 outsiders to migrate to Kashmir. May be.

Ravi Joshi is of the opinion that these sleeper cells must be neutralised and the J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah must take responsibility for it. No doubt it is a challenge to Omar Abdullah but must accept the challenge. The Resistance Front (TRF) terrorists must be identified and restrained, he said.

It is unfortunate that Hindus in India are taken for granted since independence. Now in some of the States like J&K, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Hindus have become soft target for attack.

There is an opinion that there was a security-lapse on the part of the intelligence service, Rashtriya Rifles, Army and the local Police. Could be, because when the location is a heavy tourist centre, it is natural for the authorities to ensure heavy security in the area. Lapses in providing needed security made it easy for the terrorists to target Pahalgam for this attack.

Now let us wait for India’s move in retaliation. Let this not become another case like 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai under Dr. Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister.

e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com