Twenty-seven-year-old Taiyuba Amin didn’t know what was happening back home when her phone started buzzing with back-to-back anxious calls from home. She ignored it, thinking the family would understand that she was busy. However, it didn’t stop.
“I hadn’t read the news yet. I was busy,” she said. “I thought if I didn’t answer the call, Mamma would know I was busy as always. But when it didn’t stop ringing, I answered.”
Amin’s anxious mother asked her to return to the valley. She was confused as to what was happening. “Things are not okay. Did you not see the news? Don’t post anything on social media and please don’t sleep alone tonight,” Amin’s mother told her over the call.
That was not it. She was told to keep the door locked multiple times, even in the middle of the night. Amin’s family didn’t sleep well last night, like many Kashmiri families whose kin were studying or working in Indian states.
What happened?
On 22 April 2025, when the Baisaran meadow of the tourist spot Pahalgam was bustling with tourists, a group of armed men appeared and started firing at them for nearly 15 minutes, as per the reports. The attack, which is considered one of the deadliest attacks in decades, left 26 people dead and dozens injured.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a militant outfit that emerged after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s limited autonomy, claimed responsibility for the attack, as per the post circulating on social media.
In the statement, they had opposed the issuance of domicile certificates to non-locals in Kashmir. “More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land. Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally,” the statement read.
Earlier this month, the government said that over 83,000 non-locals were issued domicile certificates issued J-K. Following the abrogation of J-K’s special status in 2019, the state was bifurcated into two union territories, giving the Union government greater administrative control over the region. Often marketed as a move to bring “normalcy and peace” to the valley, the decision instead escalated political tensions and deepened public mistrust.
Prior to the abrogation, Article 370 barred non-residents from purchasing land or securing permanent residency in J-K. In the years since, the Indian government has begun issuing domicile certificates to non-locals, enabling them to settle in the Valley—a move many Kashmiris view as a direct threat to their identity and demographic makeup.
In October 2021, the same militant group took responsibility for a spate of killings targeting non-Muslim Kashmiris, as many changes were made to several laws around land holdings and residency status. But the attacks on tourists in Kashmir have been rare.
Last year, an attack targeted a bus full of Hindu pilgrims in Reasi that left 10 Hindu pilgrims dead and 33 injured. Initially, some reports had suggested that TRF had claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the outfit later issued a statement denying their involvement.
How Kashmiris reacted
As soon as the news of the attack caught the valley like wildfire, many condolences, condemnations, and apologies started emerging on different social media platforms from political leaders to locals.
One user wrote on Instagram, “This is not Islam. This is not Kashmir. Pahalgam’s innocent blood stains more than just the earth. It wounds our identity.”
“…Today, every heart here hurts.”
“What happened today in Pahalgam is devastating, heartbreaking, and utterly inhuman. The brutal attack on innocent tourists is not who we are. They are not among us. No cause, no grievance can ever justify such barbarity. Those who committed this heinous act deserve no mercy,” another user posted on Instagram. “…This is not us. This is not Kashmir!”
People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) Ilitija Mufti condemned the attack and questioned the security lapse in a high-security area like Baisaran. “Strongly condemn the shameful act of violence that claimed the lives of five & left many injured in Baisaran Pahalgam today. Kashmiris have always welcomed tourists with open arms & this incident is most unfortunate,” she wrote on X.
A day after the attack, the security agencies released photographs of the suspected militants involved in the Phalagam attack. The names of the militants are said to be Aadil Guree, Aasif Shaikh, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha. Despite speedy investigations, several questions are being raised about how the militants carried out such a massive attack despite security measures.
Apart from PDP, National Conference (NC) and other political parties, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief cleric and chairman of Mutahida Majlis Ulama, also condemned the attack and called for a strike against the killings.
“…Another day of carnage in the blood soaked history of Kashmir when visiting tourists in a most gruesome manner are mercilessly killed . Hapless people of Kashmir know the pain and grief of such tragedies for those who lost their loved ones today. Such gruesomeness is abhorred in Islam, which is essentially a religion of peace and goodwill, and against all human ethics,” he wrote on X. “The Islamic fraternity of Jammu and Kashmir through Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU) in support and solidarity with the bereaved families of those killed appeal to people of Jammu Kashmir to peacefully protest this heinous crime tomorrow by a shutdown,” Mirwaiz said.
In many videos, local residents were seen giving water to the tourists, helping and calming them down after the attack. They were also seen rescuing them from the place of attack and even carrying them on their backs on the way back from the meadow. Apart from the J-K police, many locals posted their contact numbers in case any tourists needed any help. As per several reports, the locals also donated blood to the survivors. Meanwhile, candlelight marches were also held in many districts of Kashmir last night.
Did anything change for Kashmiris after condemnation?
For the first time in a long time, Kashmir’s streets were deserted, with markets and educational institutions closed. The hartal was observed to protest against the Tuesday attack.
But were Kashmiris humanized after such massive condemnation and solidarity? Hardly. When the photos of candle marches were posted, they were accused of doing a “drama” and laughing during the march. “Yahi log shamil hai. Sab ke sab terrorist hain saale (sic),” one user wrote on a related post.
Many also suggested an “Israel-like solution” for Kashmir. “India should attack like Israel, every citizen should carry weapons.”
This is not the first time the “Israel model” as a “solution” has been proposed for Kashmir. Last year, Indian scientist and right-wing political commentator Anand Ranganathan sparked controversy by advocating for an Israel-like solution in Kashmir. A right-wing journalist, Aditya Raj Kaul was in solidarity with the scientist. “In solidarity with @ARanganathan72. Today. Always. We in India need to learn from Israel to tackle Islamist Terrorism, Radicalisation and Separatism. For our survival. For our nation. For our Bharat,” he wrote on X.
In November 2019, senior Indian diplomat Sandeep Chakravorty cited Israeli settlements as an inspiration, suggesting that India should adopt the “Israel model” in the valley.
The recent attack even led to many calls for a tourism boycott in Kashmir. All these posts have brought back the memories of the 2019 Pulwama attack, when Kashmiris were vilified. Many Kashmiri students were then expelled from universities, shopkeepers were boycotted, and many faced physical assaults. Kashmiris fear the same this time.
‘We are cursed’
Amin, a student in Punjab, said that her parents did not deserve the anxiety. “Our parents think that they are sending their children to safer places, but then feel anxious and worried when such attacks unfold,” she said. “Nothing changes for a Kashmiri. If anyone asks me anything here, I say, ‘We are Kashmiris, we are cursed’.”
Many Kashmiri students were asked by their college deans not to attend classes today. Several people Maktoob reached out to said that they were booking their flights to return home —some were compelled by their families and some were simply scared.
Omar Azhar, 25, after reading the news on social media, received multiple calls from his family. He was asked to return home as “they were scared for me”.
“It feels claustrophobic. You have this urge to talk about what’s happening, but you can’t. And if you do, you will be putting yourself at harm,” he said. “I often don’t disclose my Kashmiri identity. It’s a part of my identity that I try to hide.”
Azhar said that the gaze of people makes one feel like they are not a human once the Kashmiri identity is revealed. He has been receiving multiple calls from home since yesterday, only to check on him. “I told them I have multiple meetings lined up. I can’t return as I have waited for the opportunities for a long,” Azhar, a freelance cinematographer, told Maktoob.
On social media, Kashmiris who were outside posted their ordeal. One of the users said that despite receiving calls and messages from friends and family urging him to stay home or work remotely, he pushed on. He had left for work when he was trailed by two men at a metro station. He was questioned about where he was from and his thoughts about yesterday’s events.
“At first, it felt almost routine. When you’re Kashmiri, you’re used to being asked these things. But then their tone changed. Their questions turned to accusations. Their stance became threatening,” he wrote in his Instagram story. He alleged that he was then followed on a bike after he took an auto to leave them behind. “…I contacted the police. And thankfully, just as they arrived, the two men sped off.”
Nasir Khuehami, Jammu and Kashmir Students Association’s National Convenor, wrote on X that he has received multiple distress calls from Kashmiri students. “Received multiple distress calls from Kashmiri students and youth in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Landlords are asking them to vacate immediately, citing security concerns. Some have already left under pressure. This is alarming. Prayagraj is a sensitive region, and there are growing fears of harassment and profiling,” he wrote.
Many posts alerting Kashmiris and asking them to be safe circulated online. Another user posted, “…In Noida, Kashmiri boys returned to find their cars deliberately damaged and thrashed, a fact confirmed by a close relative.”
The post further added, “I myself have encountered Islamophobic remarks from colleagues and online from people I had eagerly anticipated collaborating with – remarks that reduce this to a matter of religion rather than acknowledging it as a failure of the state.”
“The hate online against Kashmiri Muslims is insane.”
Many Kashmiris, including Amin and Azhar, said, “The attack has crazy implications and only we have to bear the brunt. Because we are Kashmiris.”
