Shivang Satya Gupta
As the nation mourns the loss of 26 innocent lives in the Pahalgam terrorist attack, we are once again forced to ask ourselves: Was this yet another avoidable tragedy? Was this merely a lapse in security, or does it point to a deeper, more structural failure of our security and intelligence apparatus?
Why did this attack happen despite the valley being one of the most heavily militarised zones in the world? That too, when US vice president JD Vance was visiting India, when the Valley was witnessing its peak tourist season, and when we were preparing for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra.
How did armed terrorists manage to breach multiple layers of security, strike with precision, and escape — all without being intercepted by our forces or tipped off by intelligence agencies? And why is it that every time such a tragedy unfolds, we respond with statements of condemnation, but rarely with accountability?
We cannot allow these questions to fade into the background with the next news cycle. The people of this country deserve answers — and more importantly, they deserve justice.
To merely label this incident as a ‘security lapse’ would be a gross understatement. If the entire security grid—comprising local police, paramilitary forces, and intelligence inputs– was in place, how did the attackers find and exploit a vulnerability so easily? Does this not reflect a systemic breakdown? Were protocols ignored? Were standard operating procedures bypassed? And if they were, who was responsible?
It is time we stopped hiding behind the veil of bureaucratic silence. Fixing accountability is not optional– it is essential for the integrity of our institutions and the safety of our citizens. We must demand a judicial commission of inquiry, headed by a sitting or retired judge of impeccable integrity, to probe every angle of this attack. The families of the victims, the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and the nation at large deserve a transparent, time-bound investigation that does not just identify what went wrong, but who failed at doing what they were supposed to do, letting this tragedy unfold the way it did, taking 26 lives.
Let us be absolutely clear: Pakistan’s role as a sponsor of cross-border terrorism is well established. Our military and diplomatic establishments must respond with strength and resolve. International pressure must be increased. Perpetrators must be brought to justice — swiftly and decisively. If that requires attacking the terrorists camps across the borders, the government must not hesitate in going ahead with that. The people of this country are standing strongly behind the Modi government.
However, our internal response must not be reactionary. If a segment of our own system failed– through complacency, negligence, or incompetence– then we must act without fear or favour. Officers and officials, no matter how senior, must be held accountable if their actions — or inactions– led to this carnage.
In the name of the innocent lives lost, in the name of national security, and in the name of democratic transparency, we must not allow this attack to be buried under familiar platitudes. This time, the truth must come out.
Because if we do not ask the hard questions now — when will we?
