In the immediate aftermath of the recent incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian media outlets predictably pivoted to their go-to script: blame Pakistan.
Without waiting for investigative findings or forensic assessments, major news channels launched an accusatory blitz, stoking anti-Pakistan sentiment and deflecting attention from uncomfortable truths at home.
This isn’t just hasty journalism—it’s a pattern. A pattern that serves political ends while damaging regional stability and international credibility.
For instance, there were hundreds of tweets or posts on the platform X blaming Pakistan within five minutes after the attack, even before the lesser-known group called The Resistance Front had claimed responsibility by messaging on the Telegram chats.
Tourism Panic and the Fragile Façade of ‘Normalcy
While New Delhi touts “normalcy” in IIOJK, the ground reality tells a vastly different story. On Wednesday, panic gripped tour and travel operators as frightened visitors scrambled to cancel bookings and flee the region.
Traffic choked the roads to Srinagar airport. Ticket prices skyrocketed by over 300%. A shutdown swept through Srinagar and beyond, with traders’ associations and political parties calling for collective mourning.
Pahalgam, the scenic resort town where the attack occurred, was sealed by police, and victims were carried down mountains on horseback and military vehicles.
“This is a very abrupt escalation,” warned Ajai Sahni, executive director of the South Asia Terrorism Portal, which tracks armed incidents in the region. He criticized the Indian government’s “normalcy narrative” as both unrealistic and dangerous.
“First, zero militancy in IIOJK is an impossible objective to realise, at least in the absence of a political solution,” he said. “Secondly, the ‘normalcy’ story encourages attacks, because even a single incident shatters that illusion.”
Sahni also noted that rebel groups had largely avoided targeting the tourism sector until now, leading to complacency within India’s security apparatus.
Raul, a hospitality worker in Pahalgam, voiced growing fear: “There will be crackdowns and the increased presence of armed forces in the area again,” he said. “Everyone, my clients, just wants to get out of IIOJK.”
The dissonance between the government’s claims and the people’s experience couldn’t be clearer.
Enter The Resistance Front (TRF): Convenient Suspect or Controlled Construct?
The group claiming responsibility for the attack—the Resistance Front (TRF)—is a relatively new actor in the region’s insurgency landscape.
Emerging after India revoked Article 370 in 2019, TRF is often described as a “rebranded” face of older militant outfits, yet little is verifiably known about its structure, leadership, or funding.
Interestingly, some independent analysts and former intelligence officials have speculated that TRF’s emergence may not be as organic as portrayed.
TRF’s media-friendly, propaganda-savvy image and operational anonymity have fueled suspicions that it could be a false flag instrument, possibly cultivated or allowed by Indian intelligence agencies to:
– Cast blame on Pakistan through more plausible deniability,
– Sideline traditional Kashmiri resistance groups,
– Refine psychological warfare techniques to manage public perception domestically and internationally.
Such claims, while not officially proven, cannot be dismissed outright, especially in light of India’s long history of information operations and alleged false flag incidents, from the 2001 Parliament attack to the Pulwama bombing in 2019.
Media Trials, Not Evidence
Instead of acknowledging these complexities, Indian media reverted to its familiar theatrics. Before any forensic evidence was presented, Pakistan was held responsible. No court of law, no UN inquiry—just studio debates and hashtags.
This pattern was evident after the Samjhauta Express blast in 2007 when initial accusations against Pakistan were later contradicted by evidence implicating Hindu extremist groups. The world moved on, but the damage was done, and Pakistan never received an apology.
A Region Under Siege
The IIOJK conflict cannot be reduced to cross-border allegations. It is rooted in the longstanding denial of political rights and the brutal militarization of a population.
Since the revocation of Article 370, IIOJK has seen unprecedented restrictions on press freedom, mass detentions, surveillance, and extrajudicial killings.
Reports by the UN Human Rights Office (2018, 2019), Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have documented the state’s systematic use of force, including pellet shotguns that have left hundreds blinded.
A Shrinking Space for Minorities across India
Repression isn’t confined to IIOJK. India’s minorities—especially Muslims, Dalits, and Christians—face growing discrimination, institutional bias, and mob violence.
The Waqf Law backlash is the latest flashpoint. By granting government authority over Muslim charitable assets, the law has triggered widespread protests in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and elsewhere. Critics argue that it enables state encroachment on religious and cultural autonomy.
Add to this the bulldozer demolitions of Muslim homes, the Citizenship Amendment Act, the NRC, and lynching in the name of cow protection, and the picture is clear: minorities in India are under siege.
Dialogue, Not Deflection
Rather than conducting another media trial, India needs honest introspection. Its hardline policies have only hardened hearts—both in IIOJK and within its own borders.
Pakistan has repeatedly advocated for peace talks, third-party mediation, and adherence to UN resolutions.
But India continues to weaponize narrative instead of seeking solutions. If peace in South Asia is ever to be achieved, it must begin with truth, not televised scapegoating.
