The brutal attack in Pahalgam, where terrorists singled out and murdered Hindu tourists in cold blood, has shaken not just Kashmir, but the collective conscience of the nation. It is a reminder that beneath Kashmir’s postcard-perfect landscapes, the cruel hand of cross-border terror still runs. The targeted nature of the killings ~ men separated, names asked, lives ended ~ was not just an act of terror; it was a calcul – ated assault on India’s pluralism and its sense of internal peace.

In response, the government has closed more than half of Kashmir’s 87 tourist destinations, an extraordinary step that underscores both the scale of the threat and the urgency of restoring a semblance of order. This comes just as the summer season was beginning to bring thousands to the Valley, enticed by its beauty and reassured by a few quieter years. That illusion now lies shattered. The very act that sought to........

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