BY Navin Upadhyay
While the Pahalgam attack sparked widespread condemnation and escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, it also unleashed a wave of harassment, threats, and violence against Kashmiris across India, despite heartwarming acts of compassion by Kashmiri locals who sheltered and aided terrified tourists in the aftermath.
In the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Kashmiri locals demonstrated remarkable humanity. Eyewitness accounts and reports highlight how residents rushed to assist victims, offering shelter, food, and transportation. Members of the local pony-handlers association heroically rescued 11 injured tourists using ponies and improvised stretchers. Gurudwaras and masjids across Kashmir opened their doors to provide refuge for tourists fleeing the valley, many of whom were desperate to reach safer cities or airports.
Two women from Maharashtra, speaking to a TV channel, praised the hospitality of Kashmiri locals, with one noting, “Our driver prioritized our safety without ever asking about our religion.” Another tourist emphasized, “We trust the local residents here. They have earned our trust with their help.” Hundreds of tourists echoed similar sentiments, vowing to continue visiting Kashmir, inspired by the kindness they experienced during the crisis.
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These acts of solidarity were not isolated. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in an all-party meeting on April 24, 2025, hailed the “extraordinary display of moral and material support” by Kashmiris, particularly noting the sacrifice of pony guide Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who lost his life aiding victims. The resolution passed at the meeting condemned the attack as an “assault on Kashmiriyat,” the region’s ethos of unity and hospitality, and appealed to other states to protect Kashmiris from harassment.
कश्मीरियों की सभी तारीफ़ कर रहे हैं। चित्रा जी के लिए ये वक्त कितना मुश्किल रहा होगा..?#PakistanBehindPahalgam pic.twitter.com/3tg0vs8HAS
— Rebellious 2.0 (@RebelliousPari8) April 25, 2025
A Wave of Harassment and Violence Against Kashmiris
Despite the compassion shown by Kashmiris, a disturbing backlash unfolded across India. Kashmiris, particularly students and workers living outside Jammu and Kashmir, reported widespread harassment, threats, and physical assaults in states like Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh. The anger over the Pahalgam attack, fueled by its targeting of Hindu tourists and India’s swift accusations of Pakistan’s involvement, was misdirected at Kashmiri Muslims, deepening communal fault lines.
In Jalandhar, Punjab, Aasif Dar, a Kashmiri resident, described feeling “vengeance” in the eyes of locals. According to media reports, on April 23, he faced Islamophobic slurs while buying milk, with one man shouting, “He is a Kashmiri, everything happens because of them.”
According to reports, in Dehradun, Faizan Shafi, a 21-year-old pharmacy student, reported intimidation, including doors being banged, threatening notes slipped under doors, and communal slurs. Mushtaq Wani, another student in Dehradun, received threats that forced many Kashmiri students to flee the city. In Jammu, videos surfaced of Kashmiri students being beaten, while in Chandigarh, reports confirmed assaults and evictions. Landlords in several cities began pushing Kashmiri tenants out, and shopkeepers refused to trade with them, leaving many Kashmiris isolated and fearful.
Watch a hindu Megha Sharma from Kota Rajasthan who was on a holiday in #Pahalgam thrash the lies of the Godi Media anchors who were spinning Narendra Modi’s Hindu – Muslim narrative for the past two days .#PahalgamTerroristAttack pic.twitter.com/y9eOEuGeFE
— Ravinder Kapur. (@RavinderKapur2) April 25, 2025
Hindu right-wing groups, such as Hindu Raksha Dal, were implicated in targeting Kashmiri students, with reports of organized intimidation in northern states. In Jammu, young men on bikes rode through Kashmiri neighborhoods, blaring horns and shouting “Jai Shri Ram. Umer Parray, a Kashmiri student in Jammu, noted that life had been peaceful until the attack, after which he and others locked themselves in their homes to avoid violence.
The Paradox of Blame and Solidarity
The harassment of Kashmiris reflects a troubling paradox. While Kashmiri locals were lauded for their humanity, their counterparts elsewhere faced retribution for an attack they neither perpetrated nor condoned. The TRF’s claim that the attack was motivated by opposition to “demographic changes” in Kashmir—referring to the settlement of non-Kashmiris post the 2019 revocation of Article 370—further inflamed tensions. This narrative, coupled with India’s diplomatic measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and closing the Attari-Wagah border, intensified anti-Muslim and anti-Kashmiri sentiment in some quarters.
#Watch: In a heartwarming move, #Muslim community of #Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir opened doors of mosques to accomodate the tourists from different parts stranded due to closure of Jammu-#Srinagar National Highway. pic.twitter.com/5DxoYgNvz4
— Greater Kashmir (@GreaterKashmir) April 22, 2025
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Analysts warned that the attack could fuel Islamophobia among India’s Hindu majority, deepening communal divides. Protests in Delhi and other cities, some led by right-wing vigilantes, targeted Pakistan but also spilled over into anti-Kashmiri rhetoric. Social media posts on X captured the distress of Kashmiris, with one user, @Kumail_Abass, lamenting, “Here in Kashmir, we are protecting outsiders, giving them sympathies, while Kashmiris living outside are being attacked and harassed.” Another post by @samar11 highlighted the isolation felt by Kashmiri students, quoting Faizan Shafi: “No one wants to be responsible for Kashmiris right now. We are alone.”
The Impact on Kashmir’s Tourism and Identity
The Pahalgam attack dealt a severe blow to Kashmir’s tourism industry, which saw 3.5 million visitors in 2024. Nearly 90% of tourist bookings were canceled post-attack, leaving local businesses, from taxi drivers to hoteliers, in distress. Gulzar Ahmad Wani, a taxi driver, told Al Jazeera that his bookings vanished as tourists fled. The attack’s timing, during a period of relative peace and booming tourism, underscored its intent to disrupt Kashmir’s progress.
For Kashmiris, the dual burden of mourning the attack and facing backlash elsewhere has deepened their sense of alienation. The ethos of Kashmiriyat, which shone through in their aid to tourists, is now at odds with the communal lens through which they are viewed in parts of India. As one Kashmiri student put it, “We are condemned for an attack we didn’t commit, while our people saved lives.”
Kashmiri Muslims are showing true hospitality by helping stranded tourists, while hatemongers on social media are busy spreading hate and defaming them. It’s time to rise above religion and unite to defeat terrorism. #PahalgamTerrorAttack pic.twitter.com/ZSfIjw4R1B
— Salman Nizami (@SalmanNizami_) April 25, 2025
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The Pahalgam attack and its aftermath highlight the urgent need to bridge India’s communal divides. While the government pursues justice for the victims and addresses security failures, it must also act decisively to curb the harassment of Kashmiris. Public awareness campaigns showcasing the compassion of Kashmiri locals, coupled with stricter action against hate crimes, could help counter the narrative of collective blame. The stories of tourists who vowed to return to Kashmir, inspired by local hospitality, offer a glimmer of hope for healing and unity.
As India navigates this crisis, the resilience of Kashmiris—both in their humanity toward strangers and their endurance amid adversity—reminds us of the region’s complex identity. Protecting this spirit of Kashmiriyat, rather than letting it be eroded by division, is essential for a peaceful future.
